Lazard Asset Management LLC Raises Stock Position in Northwest Pipe (NASDAQ:NWPX)

Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Northwest Pipe (NASDAQ:NWPX - Free Report) by 433.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 12,137 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.15% of Northwest Pipe worth $720,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of NWPX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Northwest Pipe by 34.2% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 56,371 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,544,000 after purchasing an additional 14,374 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Northwest Pipe in the 4th quarter worth about $381,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in shares of Northwest Pipe by 198.1% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 32,200 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,554,000 after buying an additional 21,400 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Northwest Pipe during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of Northwest Pipe by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 15,159 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $732,000 after acquiring an additional 713 shares during the last quarter. 80.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Northwest Pipe Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ NWPX traded down $0.12 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $39.83. 37,420 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 55,471. Northwest Pipe has a 12 month low of $32.04 and a 12 month high of $57.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $393.44 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 3.20, a quick ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company's 50 day moving average price is $40.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.57.

Northwest Pipe (NASDAQ:NWPX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.14). Northwest Pipe had a return on equity of 8.47% and a net margin of 6.12%. The firm had revenue of $116.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $111.92 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Northwest Pipe will post 3.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Sidoti raised Northwest Pipe to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th.

Insider Transactions at Northwest Pipe

In related news, CFO Aaron Wilkins sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total value of $44,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 23,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,032,548. The trade was a 4.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 3.30% of the company's stock.

Northwest Pipe Profile

Northwest Pipe Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and supply of water-related infrastructure products in North America. It operates in two segments, Engineered Steel Pressure Pipe (SPP) and Precast Infrastructure and Engineered Systems (Precast). The SPP segment offers large-diameter and high-pressure steel pipeline systems for use in water infrastructure applications, which are primarily related to drinking water systems.