Markel Group Inc. Makes New $1.55 Million Investment in WillScot Holdings Corporation $WSC

Key Points

• Markel Group opened a new position in WillScot, buying 90,000 shares worth approximately $1.55 million in the third quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 95.81% of the company.
• WillScot reported quarterly earnings of $0.28 per share, beating the $0.25 estimate, while revenue of $612.15 million also topped expectations and rose 3.9% year over year.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is Hold, with an average price target of $24.86; recent target cuts included Baird and Citigroup lowering theirs to $21 and UBS to $18.

Markel Group Inc. acquired a new position in WillScot Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:WSC - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 90,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,546,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of WillScot by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,826 shares of the company's stock worth $168,000 after purchasing an additional 577 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of WillScot by 73.6% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,746 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 740 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG grew its stake in shares of WillScot by 23.1% during the 1st quarter. Leonteq Securities AG now owns 4,476 shares of the company's stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 841 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of WillScot by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 61,390 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,066,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC increased its holdings in shares of WillScot by 11.8% in the 3rd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 13,676 shares of the company's stock valued at $235,000 after purchasing an additional 1,442 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.81% of the company's stock.

WillScot Stock Performance

Shares of WSC stock opened at $19.59 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $18.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.80, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market cap of $3.55 billion, a PE ratio of -51.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.37. WillScot Holdings Corporation has a 1 year low of $14.91 and a 1 year high of $29.77.

WillScot (NASDAQ:WSC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.03. WillScot had a positive return on equity of 21.62% and a negative net margin of 3.00%. The company had revenue of $612.15 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $585.43 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.27 earnings per share. WillScot's revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that WillScot Holdings Corporation will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WillScot Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 2nd were given a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 2nd. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. WillScot's payout ratio is currently -73.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of WillScot from $28.00 to $21.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of WillScot from $30.00 to $21.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of WillScot from $29.00 to $18.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of WillScot in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of WillScot from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, WillScot currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $24.86.

WillScot Company Profile

WillScot Holdings Corporation NASDAQ: WSC provides flexible workspace and storage solutions primarily to customers across North America. The company offers modular buildings, mobile offices, portable classrooms, storage units and other temporary or permanent space solutions for businesses, schools, construction sites, health care organizations, government agencies and other institutions.

In addition to renting and selling modular space and portable storage products, WillScot provides related services such as delivery, installation, relocation, site improvements, furnishings and facility services.

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