Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) Hits New 12-Month High After Earnings Beat

Key Points

• Shares hit a new 52-week high after Compass Minerals reported a quarter with an extraordinary reported EPS of $999.00 versus a $0.59 consensus, sending the stock up to $27.22 intraday.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed to negative: MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Reduce" with a $22 price target, and recent notes include a "sell" from Weiss Ratings and a downgrade from Zacks.
• Heavy institutional ownership and material balance-sheet signals: institutions own 99.78% of the stock and several hedge funds recently added large stakes; the company has a $1.12B market cap, a negative P/E (-28.97) and a high debt-to-equity ratio (3.39).

Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE:CMP - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $27.22 and last traded at $26.8410, with a volume of 168170 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $26.46.

The basic materials company reported $999.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.59 by $998.41. Compass Minerals International had a positive return on equity of 8.69% and a negative net margin of 2.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on CMP. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Compass Minerals International in a report on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research cut Compass Minerals International from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $22.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Compass Minerals International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CMP. Gumshoe Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Compass Minerals International during the fourth quarter worth about $24,842,000. Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. grew its holdings in Compass Minerals International by 201.7% during the second quarter. Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. now owns 1,280,648 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,728,000 after purchasing an additional 856,149 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in Compass Minerals International by 4,579.9% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 776,303 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $15,247,000 after purchasing an additional 759,715 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Compass Minerals International by 379.4% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 522,108 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $10,024,000 after purchasing an additional 413,205 shares during the period. Finally, Engine Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Compass Minerals International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $7,529,000. Institutional investors own 99.78% of the company's stock.

Compass Minerals International Trading Up 0.7%

The company has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of -28.97 and a beta of 1.18. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $24.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39.

Compass Minerals International Company Profile

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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