Post Holdings, Inc. $POST Shares Sold by Gamco Investors INC. ET AL

Key Points

• Gamco Investors INC. has reduced its stake in Post Holdings by 4.8%, now holding 247,586 shares valued at approximately $28.8 million.
• Post Holdings reported $2.03 earnings per share for the last quarter, surpassing analyst estimates of $1.67, along with a revenue increase of 1.9% year-over-year.
• Analysts have generally optimistic views on Post, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target set at $129.40.

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lowered its stake in shares of Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST - Free Report) by 4.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 247,586 shares of the company's stock after selling 12,490 shares during the quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL owned approximately 0.44% of Post worth $28,809,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in POST. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in Post by 403.1% during the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 986,975 shares of the company's stock valued at $112,969,000 after purchasing an additional 790,782 shares during the period. Point72 Asset Management L.P. boosted its position in Post by 53.4% during the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,045,306 shares of the company's stock worth $119,646,000 after acquiring an additional 364,006 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in Post during the 1st quarter worth $34,528,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Post by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,418,085 shares of the company's stock worth $630,448,000 after acquiring an additional 277,786 shares during the period. Finally, Epoch Investment Partners Inc. boosted its position in Post by 26.4% during the 1st quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 915,487 shares of the company's stock worth $106,526,000 after acquiring an additional 191,081 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.85% of the company's stock.

Post Stock Performance

Shares of POST stock opened at $112.43 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 2.60 and a quick ratio of 1.84. Post Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $101.05 and a fifty-two week high of $125.84. The stock's 50-day moving average is $108.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $111.11. The firm has a market cap of $6.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.12 and a beta of 0.49.

Post (NYSE:POST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.36. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.95 billion. Post had a return on equity of 10.80% and a net margin of 4.62%.The business's revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.54 EPS. Analysts predict that Post Holdings, Inc. will post 6.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

POST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Post from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Post in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $122.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Post from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 11th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Post from $130.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their target price on Post from $133.00 to $127.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Post presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $129.40.

Insider Activity at Post

In related news, CEO Nicolas Catoggio sold 1,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.97, for a total transaction of $190,697.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 43,751 shares in the company, valued at $4,767,546.47. This represents a 3.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director William P. Stiritz bought 36,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $109.53 per share, with a total value of $3,943,080.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 4,334,667 shares in the company, valued at $474,776,076.51. This trade represents a 0.84% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 11.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Post Company Profile

Post Holdings, Inc operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals under Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Malt-O-Meal brand names; hot cereal; peanut butter under the Peter Pan brand; and branded and private label dog and cat food products under Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits and Gravy Train brand names.

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