Post Holdings, Inc. $POST Shares Purchased by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC sharply increased its stake in Post Holdings by 1,064.2% in the first quarter, ending with 28,336 shares worth about $2.79 million.
• Post Holdings beat earnings expectations with quarterly EPS of $1.94 versus the $1.73 consensus, while revenue rose 4.7% year over year to $2.04 billion, though it came in slightly below estimates.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $113.60; shares recently traded at $91.17, below that target.

Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its position in shares of Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST - Free Report) by 1,064.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,336 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 25,902 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.06% of Post worth $2,790,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Post during the 4th quarter worth about $1,989,000. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new position in Post during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,867,000. LSV Asset Management lifted its position in Post by 145.5% during the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 44,550 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,413,000 after buying an additional 26,400 shares in the last quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Post during the first quarter worth approximately $5,229,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Post by 104.0% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 242,101 shares of the company's stock worth $23,980,000 after buying an additional 123,423 shares during the period. 94.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gregory L. Curl sold 6,186 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.05, for a total value of $649,839.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 15,107 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,586,990.35. This represents a 29.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 14.05% of the company's stock.

Post Stock Performance

Post stock opened at $91.17 on Friday. Post Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $83.89 and a 12-month high of $117.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.38, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The company has a market capitalization of $4.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.35 and a beta of 0.39. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $90.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $98.14.

Post (NYSE:POST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $2.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.08 billion. Post had a net margin of 4.01% and a return on equity of 13.36%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.41 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Post Holdings, Inc. will post 7.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on POST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Post from $119.00 to $116.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered Post from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Post from $119.00 to $106.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen lowered Post from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $128.00 target price on shares of Post in a report on Thursday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $113.60.

Key Stories Impacting Post

Here are the key news stories impacting Post this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Post recently reported quarterly EPS of $1.94, topping analyst expectations of $1.73, while revenue grew 4.7% year over year, signaling solid underlying demand and better-than-expected profitability.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s revenue came in slightly below estimates, and margins remain something investors may continue to monitor, but the latest results still pointed to resilient operating performance.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts currently expect Post Holdings to generate $7.57 in EPS for the full year, which suggests the market may be focusing on execution versus guidance rather than a major change in the outlook.

Post Company Profile

Post Holdings, Inc is a consumer packaged goods company that operates as a holding company for a diverse portfolio of food and beverage brands. The company's principal activities include the production, marketing and distribution of ready-to-eat cereal, refrigerated and frozen foods, and nutritional beverages. Through its operating segments—Post Consumer Brands, Foodservice, Refrigerated Side Dishes & Bakery, and Active Nutrition—Post Holdings delivers a broad array of products to retail grocers, convenience stores, foodservice operators and e-commerce channels.

The Post Consumer Brands segment features a variety of hot and cold cereals under names such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Shredded Wheat and Pebbles.

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