Copeland Capital Management LLC Sells 35,185 Shares of PriceSmart, Inc. $PSMT

Key Points

• Copeland Capital Management sold 35,185 shares of PriceSmart, trimming its stake by 5.1% to 653,408 shares (about $80.15M); institutional ownership is roughly 80.46% and other large managers (Invesco, Victory, Millennium) have recently increased positions.
• PriceSmart beat quarterly estimates with EPS $1.62 vs. $1.57 and revenue $1.50B vs. $1.48B (revenue +9.7% YoY); the stock trades near its 12‑month high (~$162), with a market cap of $5.01B and a P/E around 32.
• The company announced a $0.70 per share dividend payable August 31, with record/ex‑dividend dates on August 17 and a payout ratio of about 27.6%.

Copeland Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT - Free Report) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 653,408 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,185 shares during the quarter. PriceSmart accounts for about 1.8% of Copeland Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Copeland Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.12% of PriceSmart worth $80,154,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Progeny 3 Inc. bought a new stake in PriceSmart in the third quarter worth approximately $27,825,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in PriceSmart by 54.7% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 551,566 shares of the company's stock worth $57,936,000 after acquiring an additional 194,980 shares in the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp bought a new stake in PriceSmart in the third quarter worth approximately $21,915,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in PriceSmart by 37.0% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 651,499 shares of the company's stock worth $78,955,000 after acquiring an additional 175,806 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its position in PriceSmart by 5,150.6% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 114,936 shares of the company's stock worth $13,929,000 after acquiring an additional 112,747 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.46% of the company's stock.

PriceSmart Stock Performance

PSMT stock opened at $162.15 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $152.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $136.71. The company has a market capitalization of $5.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.98 and a beta of 0.74. PriceSmart, Inc. has a 12 month low of $97.62 and a 12 month high of $165.46.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.05. The business 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%. PriceSmart's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.45 EPS.

PriceSmart Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

PriceSmart 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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