Boston Trust Walden Corp Purchases 77,419 Shares of PriceSmart, Inc. $PSMT

Key Points

• Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its stake in PriceSmart by 42.8%, buying 77,419 shares to hold 258,250 shares (about 0.84% of the company) worth $31.68 million.
• PriceSmart beat expectations for the quarter with $1.62 EPS vs. $1.57 and $1.50B in revenue vs. $1.48B, with revenue up 9.7% year-over-year. The company also announced a $0.70 per-share dividend payable August 31 (record/ex-dividend date: August 17).
• Market and ownership snapshot: PSMT traded near $160.27 with a $4.95B market cap and a P/E of 31.6, and institutional investors own about 80.46% of the stock.

Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its stake in PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT - Free Report) by 42.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 258,250 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 77,419 shares during the period. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned 0.84% of PriceSmart worth $31,680,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in PriceSmart in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in PriceSmart by 560.0% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 297 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in PriceSmart in the third quarter valued at $39,000. AlphaQuest LLC increased its stake in PriceSmart by 127.5% in the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 414 shares of the company's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its stake in PriceSmart by 57.2% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 492 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. 80.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PriceSmart Trading Up 0.9%

NASDAQ:PSMT opened at $160.27 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $152.07 and a 200-day moving average of $136.53. The company has a market cap of $4.95 billion, a PE ratio of 31.61 and a beta of 0.74. PriceSmart, Inc. has a one year low of $97.62 and a one year high of $165.46.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 8th. The company reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. PriceSmart had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 12.23%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.45 earnings per share.

PriceSmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. This represents a dividend yield of 89.0%. PriceSmart's payout ratio is presently 27.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on PSMT. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of PriceSmart from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of PriceSmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, PriceSmart has an average rating of "Buy".

PriceSmart Company Profile

PriceSmart, Inc NASDAQ: PSMT is a U.S.-based retailer specializing in membership warehouse clubs. Founded in 1993, the company operates under a business model that offers bulk quantities of goods at discounted prices to individuals and businesses that purchase annual memberships. PriceSmart's value proposition centers on low-cost operations, high-volume purchasing, and a no-frills shopping environment designed to pass savings directly to its members.

The company's product assortment covers a broad range of merchandise categories, including groceries and fresh produce, household essentials, electronics, appliances, office supplies, furniture, and health and beauty items.

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