NPK International Inc. $NPKI Shares Bought by Granahan Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Granahan Investment Management increased its stake in NPK International by 16.1% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 580,447 shares worth about $6.9 million.
• NPK International reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $0.12 per share on revenue of $75.07 million, slightly topping analyst estimates.
• Despite the stock’s recent trading near $14.82, insiders have been selling shares, including CEO Matthew Lanigan and VP Lori Briggs, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy.”

Granahan Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of NPK International Inc. (NYSE:NPKI - Free Report) by 16.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 580,447 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 80,507 shares during the period. Granahan Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.69% of NPK International worth $6,919,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NPKI. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of NPK International during the fourth quarter worth $1,369,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL increased its position in shares of NPK International by 985.9% during the third quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 506,585 shares of the company's stock worth $5,729,000 after acquiring an additional 459,935 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of NPK International by 200.5% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 223,464 shares of the company's stock worth $2,527,000 after acquiring an additional 149,088 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of NPK International by 13.1% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,971,066 shares of the company's stock worth $33,603,000 after acquiring an additional 344,658 shares during the period. Finally, Round Rock Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of NPK International by 85.9% during the fourth quarter. Round Rock Advisors LLC now owns 92,114 shares of the company's stock worth $1,098,000 after acquiring an additional 42,564 shares during the period. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NPK International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NPKI opened at $14.82 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The company has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.22 and a beta of 1.24. NPK International Inc. has a 52 week low of $8.17 and a 52 week high of $16.50. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $15.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.04.

NPK International (NYSE:NPKI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $75.07 million during the quarter. NPK International had a net margin of 13.71% and a return on equity of 10.56%. Research analysts predict that NPK International Inc. will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on NPKI. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating on shares of NPK International in a report on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings raised NPK International from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $14.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Matthew Lanigan sold 167,375 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.43, for a total value of $2,415,221.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 254,699 shares in the company, valued at $3,675,306.57. This trade represents a 39.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP Lori Briggs sold 8,325 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.75, for a total transaction of $122,793.75. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 247,165 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,645,683.75. The trade was a 3.26% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 238,159 shares of company stock worth $3,454,567 in the last three months. 4.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

NPK International Company Profile

NPK International, Inc NYSE: NPKI is a specialty chemical distributor supplying a broad range of industrial and performance materials across diverse end-markets. Its product portfolio includes acetic acid and derivatives, alcohols, ketones, esters, glycol ethers, glycols, specialty solvents, select inorganic chemicals and crop-protection intermediates. These materials serve industries such as coatings, adhesives and sealants, oil and gas, personal care, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and water treatment.

The company places a strong emphasis on supply-chain security and technical service, maintaining warehousing, logistics support and laboratory capabilities at its regional distribution centers.

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