Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) Reaches New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Shares of Compass Minerals hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $27.02 (last at $26.75) with notable intraday volume, up about 4.5% on the move.
• The company reported a quarterly EPS beat ($0.43 vs. $0.11 expected) and revenue rose 28.9% year-over-year, though net margin remained negative.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $22, below the current trading level.

Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE:CMP - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $27.02 and last traded at $26.75, with a volume of 189364 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $25.55.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Loop Capital set a $24.00 price target on shares of Compass Minerals International in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Zacks Research raised shares of Compass Minerals International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Compass Minerals International from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Compass Minerals International in a report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Compass Minerals International currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $22.00.

Compass Minerals International Trading Up 4.5%

The company's fifty day moving average is $23.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.38. The stock has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -29.01 and a beta of 1.16. 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 (NYSE:CMP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.32. The firm had revenue of $396.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $329.23 million. Compass Minerals International had a negative net margin of 2.82% and a positive return on equity of 8.69%. The firm's revenue was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.55) earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Compass Minerals International, Inc. will post 0.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Compass Minerals International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CMP. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in shares of Compass Minerals International during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Comerica Bank grew its position in shares of Compass Minerals International by 80.0% during the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 1,868 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 830 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Compass Minerals International during the third quarter worth approximately $60,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Compass Minerals International during the second quarter worth approximately $83,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Compass Minerals International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $122,000. 99.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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