Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Makes New $2.11 Million Investment in The Marzetti Company $MZTI

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought 12,820 shares of The Marzetti Company in Q4 (≈$2.11 million), joining other institutional buyers; overall institutional ownership stands at 66.44% and Goldman Sachs notably increased its stake by 30,731 shares.
• Wall Street sentiment is cautious with a consensus rating of "Hold" (one Buy, three Holds) and a consensus target price of $176 after several firms trimmed their targets.
• Marzetti recently missed EPS estimates ($2.15 vs. $2.23), reported modest revenue growth of 1.7% to $509.8M, and pays a quarterly dividend of $1.00 (annualized $4.00, yield ~3.2%, DPR ~61%).

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in shares of The Marzetti Company (NASDAQ:MZTI - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 12,820 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,108,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MZTI. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Marzetti by 3.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 32,626 shares of the company's stock worth $5,710,000 after buying an additional 1,186 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Marzetti by 4.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 11,637 shares of the company's stock worth $2,036,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Marzetti by 16.1% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 221,350 shares of the company's stock worth $38,736,000 after buying an additional 30,731 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new stake in Marzetti during the first quarter worth approximately $231,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Marzetti during the first quarter worth approximately $2,310,000. 66.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Marzetti in a research report on Friday, January 9th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of Marzetti from $184.00 to $168.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Marzetti from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, Stephens reduced their target price on shares of Marzetti from $180.00 to $160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marzetti has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $176.00.

Marzetti Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MZTI opened at $124.38 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.05 and a beta of 0.47. The Marzetti Company has a 1-year low of $122.63 and a 1-year high of $190.96. The company's fifty day moving average is $145.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $158.84.

Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.23 by ($0.08). Marzetti had a return on equity of 18.55% and a net margin of 9.25%.The firm had revenue of $509.77 million during the quarter. The business's revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Marzetti Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Marzetti's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.26%.

Marzetti Company Profile

Lancaster Colony Corporation engages in the manufacturing and marketing of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice channels in the United States. It operates in two segments, Retail and Foodservice. The company offers frozen garlic bread under the New York BRAND Bakery; frozen Parkerhouse style yeast and dinner rolls under the Sister Schubert's brand; salad dressings under the Marzetti, Simply Dressed, Cardini's, and Girard's brands; vegetable and fruit dips under the Marzetti brand; croutons and salad toppings under the New York BRAND Bakery, Chatham Village, and Marzetti brands; and frozen pasta under the Marzetti Frozen Pasta brand.

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