Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) Cut to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Compass Minerals International from “Buy” to “Hold.” Overall analyst sentiment is also “Hold,” with an average price target of $28.80.
• Compass Minerals opened at $29.37, down 1.4%, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.23 billion and a 12-month trading range of $16.40 to $34.50.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.63 EPS versus a $0.59 consensus estimate and $453.2 million in revenue, although revenue declined 8.4% year over year. Institutional investors own 99.78% of the stock.

Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday.

Several other analysts have also commented on CMP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Compass Minerals International from an "underweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $20.00 to $30.00 in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $35.00 target price on shares of Compass Minerals International in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Weiss Ratings raised Compass Minerals International from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Compass Point set a $30.00 price target on Compass Minerals International in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Compass Minerals International from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $28.80.

Compass Minerals International Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE:CMP opened at $29.37 on Friday. Compass Minerals International has a 12 month low of $16.40 and a 12 month high of $34.50. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 195.82 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a current ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.60.

Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $453.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $418.97 million. Compass Minerals International had a return on equity of 8.99% and a net margin of 0.55%.Compass Minerals International's quarterly revenue was down 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.63 EPS. Analysts expect that Compass Minerals International will post 0.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Compass Minerals International by 692.8% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,253,045 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $29,259,000 after purchasing an additional 1,094,987 shares during the period. Irenic Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Compass Minerals International during the 1st quarter worth $33,520,000. Engine Capital Management LP increased its holdings in Compass Minerals International by 275.4% during the 1st quarter. Engine Capital Management LP now owns 1,439,065 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $33,602,000 after purchasing an additional 1,055,740 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its position in Compass Minerals International by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 13,670 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $319,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Compass Minerals International by 994.4% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 172,911 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $4,037,000 after purchasing an additional 157,111 shares in the last quarter. 99.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Compass Minerals International

Compass Minerals International, Inc is a global producer of essential mineral-based products, primarily known for its salt and plant nutrition portfolios. The company's deicing salts are used by municipalities and commercial customers across North America to maintain safer roadways in winter months. In addition, its water conditioning salts serve both residential and industrial users, supporting water treatment systems that remove hard minerals to protect plumbing and equipment.

Beyond conventional salt products, Compass Minerals has developed a specialty plant nutrition business focused on sulfate of potash (SOP), a premium fertilizer that provides both potassium and sulfur to crops.

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