Citi Trends (NASDAQ:CTRN) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• CTRN crossed above its 200-day moving average, trading as high as $52.98 and last at $50.57 versus a 200‑day MA of $43.00 (50‑day MA $45.99), indicating a short-term technical breakout.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: two Buy ratings and one Sell leave an average MarketBeat rating of "Hold" with an average price target of $68.00.
• Recent quarter beat estimates but profitability is weak: EPS of $0.85 topped expectations and revenue slightly exceeded forecasts, yet net margin is 0.64%, ROE is negative 4.78%, and the stock trades at a high PE of 85.71 on a ~$422M market cap.

Citi Trends, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTRN - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $43.00 and traded as high as $52.98. Citi Trends shares last traded at $50.57, with a volume of 98,904 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CTRN has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Craig Hallum reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Citi Trends in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. DA Davidson set a $68.00 price target on shares of Citi Trends in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Citi Trends in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $68.00.

Citi Trends Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $421.75 million, a PE ratio of 85.71 and a beta of 2.04. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $45.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.00.

Citi Trends (NASDAQ:CTRN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.07. Citi Trends had a net margin of 0.64% and a negative return on equity of 4.78%. The company had revenue of $230.39 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $227.42 million.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Citi Trends news, Director Margaret L. Jenkins sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.91, for a total transaction of $91,820.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 14,163 shares in the company, valued at approximately $650,223.33. This trade represents a 12.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 3.80% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Citi Trends

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Citi Trends by 143.3% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,051 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 619 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its holdings in shares of Citi Trends by 175.0% during the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 1,100 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Citi Trends during the fourth quarter worth about $51,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Citi Trends by 277.1% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,648 shares of the company's stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 1,211 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of Citi Trends by 758.3% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,678 shares of the company's stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 2,366 shares in the last quarter.

Citi Trends Company Profile

Citi Trends, Inc NASDAQ: CTRN is an off-price retail apparel chain that focuses on value-priced urban fashion apparel and accessories for men, women, and children. Headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, the company offers a broad assortment of merchandise, including denim, sportswear, activewear, and seasonal styles, complemented by footwear, jewelry, cosmetics, and home goods. Through its purchasing model, Citi Trends sources closeouts, overstocks and canceled orders from name-brand vendors, enabling it to offer trending styles at competitive price points.

The company operates more than 500 stores across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, with typical store footprints of approximately 11,000 square feet.

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