Sprucegrove Investment Management Ltd. Invests $1.53 Million in XPEL, Inc. $XPEL

Key Points

• Sprucegrove Investment Management Ltd. has purchased a new position in XPEL, Inc., acquiring 52,000 shares valued at approximately $1.53 million.
• Institutional investors own approximately 75.08% of XPEL's stock, indicating strong interest from major investment entities.
• XPEL has recently initiated a share buyback program allowing for the repurchase of up to $50 million in shares, reflecting management's belief that the stock is undervalued.

Sprucegrove Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in XPEL, Inc. (NASDAQ:XPEL - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 52,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,528,000. Sprucegrove Investment Management Ltd. owned approximately 0.19% of XPEL as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Eukles Asset Management acquired a new position in XPEL during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of XPEL by 308.2% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,339 shares of the company's stock valued at $98,000 after acquiring an additional 2,521 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of XPEL by 12.1% in the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,395 shares of the company's stock valued at $159,000 after acquiring an additional 583 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of XPEL by 199.4% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,734 shares of the company's stock valued at $189,000 after acquiring an additional 3,153 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new stake in XPEL during the 4th quarter worth approximately $210,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.08% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

XPEL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen cut XPEL from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Zacks Research raised XPEL to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, XPEL presently has an average rating of "Sell".

XPEL Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of NASDAQ XPEL traded down $0.9150 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $36.8650. The company had a trading volume of 96,834 shares, compared to its average volume of 209,117. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.95 and a beta of 1.83. XPEL, Inc. has a 1-year low of $24.25 and a 1-year high of $47.23. The firm's 50 day moving average is $35.94 and its 200-day moving average is $34.37.

XPEL (NASDAQ:XPEL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.07. XPEL had a return on equity of 21.17% and a net margin of 10.84%.The company had revenue of $124.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $118.37 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.54 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 13.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that XPEL, Inc. will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current year.

XPEL announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 6th that allows the company to repurchase $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

About XPEL

XPEL, Inc sells, distributes, and installs protective films and coatings worldwide. The company offers automotive surface and paint protection film, headlight protection, and automotive and architectural window films, as well as proprietary DAP software. It also provides pre-cut film products, merchandise and apparel, ceramic coatings, and tools and accessories.