Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Buy Rating

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

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Compass Minerals International from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Compass Minerals International from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $13.00 to $15.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th.

Compass Minerals International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CMP traded up $0.91 during trading on Friday, reaching $20.15. 681,731 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 823,021. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.94. Compass Minerals International has a 52-week low of $7.51 and a 52-week high of $20.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $836.31 million, a PE ratio of -5.10 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.67.

Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.24. Compass Minerals International had a negative net margin of 15.10% and a negative return on equity of 10.00%. The company had revenue of $494.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $413.96 million. The company's quarterly revenue was up 35.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Compass Minerals International will post -0.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Compass Minerals International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Compass Minerals International by 4.3% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 20,665 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $192,000 after purchasing an additional 858 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in Compass Minerals International by 19.4% in the 1st quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 305,753 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,840,000 after buying an additional 49,668 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Compass Minerals International by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 49,928 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $464,000 after buying an additional 4,740 shares during the period. Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. purchased a new stake in Compass Minerals International in the 1st quarter worth $3,944,000. Finally, Long Focus Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Compass Minerals International by 48.2% during the first quarter. Long Focus Capital Management LLC now owns 222,370 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,066,000 after acquiring an additional 72,370 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.78% of the company's stock.

About Compass Minerals International

Compass Minerals International, Inc, provides essential minerals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Salt and Plant Nutrition. The Salt segment produces, markets, and sells sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, including rock salt, mechanically and solar evaporated salt, and brine and flake magnesium chloride products; and purchases potassium chloride and calcium chloride to sell as finished products or to blend with sodium chloride to produce specialty products.