ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) CFO Sells $158,660.16 in Stock

Key Points

• ePlus CFO Elaine Marion sold 1,668 shares at an average price of $95.12, generating $158,660 in proceeds and reducing her direct stake by 1.82%.
• Quarterly results exceeded expectations: ePlus reported adjusted earnings of $1.28 per share versus the $1.19 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $649.1 million compared with expectations of $639.95 million.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, equivalent to a $1.08 annualized payout and a 1.1% yield. Shares recently traded at $94.56, while analysts maintained a consensus “Hold” rating.

ePlus inc. (NASDAQ:PLUS - Get Free Report) CFO Elaine Marion sold 1,668 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.12, for a total transaction of $158,660.16. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 89,773 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,539,207.76. This represents a 1.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

ePlus Stock Down 2.6%

PLUS traded down $2.49 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $94.56. 478,034 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 210,586. The company has a market capitalization of $2.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.54, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $85.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $83.30. ePlus inc. has a fifty-two week low of $62.42 and a fifty-two week high of $98.14.

ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The software maker reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $649.11 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $639.95 million. ePlus had a net margin of 5.24% and a return on equity of 11.36%. As a group, research analysts forecast that ePlus inc. will post 4.66 EPS for the current year.

ePlus Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. ePlus's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PLUS has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of ePlus in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Zacks Research raised ePlus from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ePlus

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in ePlus by 361.9% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 448 shares of the software maker's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in ePlus during the 4th quarter worth $108,000. US Bancorp DE increased its position in ePlus by 856.4% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,731 shares of the software maker's stock worth $123,000 after buying an additional 1,550 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new stake in shares of ePlus during the fourth quarter worth $138,000. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new stake in shares of ePlus during the third quarter worth $154,000. 93.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting ePlus

Here are the key news stories impacting ePlus this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings topped estimates. ePlus reported earnings of $1.28 per share, exceeding the $1.19 consensus forecast, while revenue of $649.1 million also surpassed expectations of $639.95 million. ePlus earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Managed services remained a growth driver. Services revenue rose 2.6% to $119.4 million, including a 15.1% increase in managed-services revenue to $51.3 million. The growth supports ePlus’s recurring-revenue strategy. ePlus first-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns increased. ePlus declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, payable September 16, and authorized the repurchase of up to 1.5 million shares over the next 12 months. These measures may provide support for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 guidance was maintained. Management reiterated expectations for mid-single-digit year-over-year growth in revenue, gross profit and adjusted EBITDA, offering stability but no upward forecast revision.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability weakened despite the revenue beat. First-quarter sales increased only 1.0% year over year to $649.1 million, while gross profit fell 1.5% to $151.3 million and net earnings from continuing operations declined 5.4% to $30.3 million. The 23.3% gross margin highlights ongoing margin pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Elaine D. Marion sold shares. Marion sold 7,182 shares in transactions dated August 3 and 4 for approximately $690,000. The sales follow a broader pattern of insider selling, with no reported insider purchases over the past six months, potentially weighing on investor sentiment.

ePlus Company Profile

ePlus Inc NASDAQ: PLUS is a technology solutions provider that helps enterprises and public-sector organizations maximize the value of their information technology investments. The company specializes in designing, implementing and managing complex IT infrastructures, with a focus on security, cloud computing, data center modernization and unified communications. By combining consulting services with software license management and hardware procurement, ePlus delivers end-to-end solutions that align with its clients' strategic objectives.

The company's offerings include cybersecurity assessments and managed security services, hybrid and public cloud deployments, network architecture and optimization, and collaboration platforms.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source