Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc. (NYSE:GRDN) Stock Rated "Moderate Buy" by Wall Street Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate Guardian Pharmacy Services a “Moderate Buy”: Nine of 10 covering analysts recommend buying the stock, while one rates it a hold. The average 12-month price target is $45.57, with recent targets reaching as high as $52.
• GRDN opened at $39.69, down 2.2%, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.98 billion. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.54 and has ranged from $23.72 to $48.33 over the past year.
• Recent quarterly results exceeded expectations: Guardian reported adjusted earnings of $0.29 per share versus the $0.26 consensus estimate, while revenue of $351.77 million topped forecasts of $340.45 million. Several institutional investors, including Jennison Associates and Dimensional Fund Advisors, also increased their stakes.

Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc. (NYSE:GRDN - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $45.57.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on GRDN. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services from $43.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 19th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. They set an "overweight" rating and a $52.00 target price for the company.

Guardian Pharmacy Services Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of NYSE GRDN opened at $39.69 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $40.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.87. The company has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a PE ratio of 38.54, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.03. Guardian Pharmacy Services has a 52-week low of $23.72 and a 52-week high of $48.33.

Guardian Pharmacy Services (NYSE:GRDN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $351.77 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $340.45 million. Guardian Pharmacy Services had a return on equity of 29.97% and a net margin of 4.50%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Guardian Pharmacy Services will post 1.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Guardian Pharmacy Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GRDN. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its holdings in Guardian Pharmacy Services by 609.5% during the first quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 822,784 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,986,000 after purchasing an additional 706,823 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services by 40.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 358,181 shares of the company's stock worth $13,489,000 after purchasing an additional 103,177 shares during the period. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services in the second quarter worth approximately $14,234,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services by 200.0% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 208,594 shares of the company's stock worth $7,855,000 after purchasing an additional 139,070 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ranger Investment Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services in the second quarter worth $7,263,000.

About Guardian Pharmacy Services

Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc NYSE: GRDN is a healthcare services company that provides pharmacy services to residents of long-term care and other institutional healthcare settings. Its customers include assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, behavioral health centers and communities serving individuals with developmental disabilities.

The company's services include prescription dispensing, medication packaging and delivery, medication management, pharmacy consulting and clinical support.

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