Russell Investments Group Ltd. Purchases 246,128 Shares of WillScot Holdings Corporation $WSC

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in WillScot Holdings Corporation by 247.5% during the first quarter, owning approximately 0.19% of the company valued at $9.62 million.
• CEO Bradley Lee Soultz bought 2,000 shares at $24.85 each, increasing his ownership to 418,376 shares, while Director Dominick P. Zarcone purchased 10,000 shares, raising his stake significantly.
• WillScot's quarterly earnings report showed a net margin of 4.66% with EPS of $0.27, missing estimates, and a recent quarterly dividend of $0.07 per share, reflecting a 1.2% dividend yield.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in WillScot Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:WSC - Free Report) by 247.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 345,570 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 246,128 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.19% of WillScot worth $9,622,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in shares of WillScot by 28.0% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,358 shares of the company's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 516 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. grew its position in shares of WillScot by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 14,101 shares of the company's stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. grew its position in shares of WillScot by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 7,533 shares of the company's stock worth $209,000 after purchasing an additional 583 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of WillScot by 273.2% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 933 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 683 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of WillScot by 89.9% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,747 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 827 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.81% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of WillScot from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of WillScot from $39.00 to $37.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, William Blair reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of WillScot in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, WillScot currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $36.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Hezron T. Lopez sold 22,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.63, for a total transaction of $541,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 54,038 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,330,955.94. This trade represents a 28.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Bradley Lee Soultz purchased 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $25.35 per share, with a total value of $76,050.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 126,817 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,214,810.95. The trade was a 2.42% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders acquired 15,000 shares of company stock valued at $387,650. Insiders own 3.10% of the company's stock.

WillScot Price Performance

NASDAQ:WSC traded down $0.30 on Thursday, hitting $23.40. The company had a trading volume of 2,264,780 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,749,711. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.00, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.55. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $27.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $28.62. WillScot Holdings Corporation has a 52 week low of $21.91 and a 52 week high of $42.15.

WillScot (NASDAQ:WSC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $589.08 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.07 million. WillScot had a net margin of 4.66% and a return on equity of 24.83%. WillScot's revenue for the quarter was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.39 EPS. WillScot has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that WillScot Holdings Corporation will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current year.

WillScot Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. WillScot's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.67%.

About WillScot

WillScot Holdings Corporation provides workspace and portable storage solutions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It operates in two segments, Modular Solutions and Storage Solutions. Its modular solutions include panelized and stackable offices, single-wide modular space units, section modulars and redi-plex, classrooms, ground level offices, blast-resistant modules, clearspan structures, and other modular space; and portable storage solutions, such as portable and cold storage containers, as well as trailers.