UBS Group AG Sells 61,356 Shares of Bristow Group Inc. $VTOL

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its Bristow Group stake by 50.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 61,356 shares and ending with 60,261 shares valued at about $2.2 million.
• Bristow shares fell 3.0% and were trading at $42.16, with the stock sitting below its 52-week high of $50.38 but above its low of $29.16.
• The company missed earnings expectations in its latest quarter, posting EPS of $0.44 versus $1.01 expected, though revenue slightly topped estimates at $388.71 million. Bristow also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share.

UBS Group AG lessened its stake in shares of Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE:VTOL - Free Report) by 50.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 60,261 shares of the company's stock after selling 61,356 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned 0.21% of Bristow Group worth $2,207,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Amalgamated Bank increased its stake in Bristow Group by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 7,253 shares of the company's stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Bristow Group by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 14,592 shares of the company's stock worth $461,000 after acquiring an additional 609 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Bristow Group by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 17,426 shares of the company's stock worth $629,000 after acquiring an additional 719 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Bristow Group during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Finally, State of Wyoming increased its stake in Bristow Group by 16.4% during the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 5,804 shares of the company's stock worth $191,000 after acquiring an additional 816 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.29% of the company's stock.

Bristow Group Trading Down 3.0%

Shares of VTOL opened at $42.16 on Thursday. Bristow Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $29.16 and a 52-week high of $50.38. The business's fifty day moving average is $45.87 and its 200-day moving average is $42.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.15. The firm has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.98 and a beta of 1.29.

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.01 by ($0.57). Bristow Group had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 11.10%. The business had revenue of $388.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $383.68 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Bristow Group Inc. will post 3.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bristow Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Bristow Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Wesley E. Kern sold 3,079 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.83, for a total transaction of $144,189.57. Following the sale, the director owned 32,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,498,560. This trade represents a 8.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer Dawn Whalen sold 26,667 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.90, for a total value of $1,250,682.30. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 108,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,076,502.90. This trade represents a 19.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 61,104 shares of company stock worth $2,869,206. 13.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VTOL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Bristow Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Raymond James Financial started coverage on Bristow Group in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Bristow Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $60.00.

Bristow Group Company Profile

Bristow Group Inc is a global provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations worldwide. The company specializes in the safe and efficient transport of personnel, equipment and supplies to offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as emergency response and medevac services. Bristow's operations support exploration, production and decommissioning activities, helping energy companies maintain continuity of production in some of the world's most challenging environments.

The company maintains a diverse fleet of turbine-powered helicopters, including medium- and heavy-lift aircraft such as the Sikorsky S-92, Airbus H225 (formerly EC225) and Leonardo AW189.

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