Willis Investment Counsel Increases Stake in PAR Technology Co. (NYSE:PAR)

Willis Investment Counsel grew its holdings in shares of PAR Technology Co. (NYSE:PAR - Free Report) by 50.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,104 shares of the software maker's stock after buying an additional 5,071 shares during the period. Willis Investment Counsel's holdings in PAR Technology were worth $926,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in PAR Technology by 100.9% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,283,978 shares of the software maker's stock worth $93,307,000 after acquiring an additional 644,920 shares in the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in PAR Technology in the 4th quarter worth about $33,011,000. Hood River Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in PAR Technology during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,392,000. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its stake in PAR Technology by 194.2% during the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 400,251 shares of the software maker's stock valued at $29,086,000 after purchasing an additional 264,188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Granahan Investment Management LLC increased its stake in PAR Technology by 115.5% during the 4th quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC now owns 347,916 shares of the software maker's stock valued at $25,283,000 after purchasing an additional 186,490 shares in the last quarter.

PAR Technology Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PAR traded down $1.53 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $62.10. The company's stock had a trading volume of 278,131 shares, compared to its average volume of 431,875. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.91. PAR Technology Co. has a 52 week low of $41.86 and a 52 week high of $82.24. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $62.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.51 billion, a PE ratio of -248.39 and a beta of 1.70.

PAR Technology (NYSE:PAR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The software maker reported ($0.01) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.05) by $0.04. PAR Technology had a negative return on equity of 8.99% and a negative net margin of 0.66%. The company had revenue of $103.86 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $105.16 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.36) EPS. The firm's revenue was up 48.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that PAR Technology Co. will post -1.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on PAR shares. Benchmark reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of PAR Technology in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of PAR Technology to a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $90.00 price target on shares of PAR Technology in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $90.00 price objective on shares of PAR Technology in a report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of PAR Technology from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PAR Technology currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $79.86.

Insider Transactions at PAR Technology

In related news, Director Douglas Gregory Rauch sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.98, for a total transaction of $69,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,760 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $822,964.80. This represents a 7.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 3.70% of the company's stock.

PAR Technology Profile

PAR Technology Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides omnichannel cloud-based hardware and software solutions to the restaurant and retail industries worldwide. The Restaurant/Retail segment offers PUNCHH, an enterprise-grade customer loyalty and engagement solution; MENU, an eCommerce platform for restaurant brands; BRINK POS, an open cloud, point-of-sale solution; PAR PAYMENT SERVICES, a merchant services business that enables electronic payment and processing services for businesses; and DATA CENTRAL, a back-office solution that leverages business intelligence and automation technologies.