YPF Sociedad Anónima $YPF Shares Sold by Ping Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Ping Capital Management trimmed its YPF stake by 3.4% to 1,948,700 shares, which remains its biggest position (about 20.3% of Ping’s portfolio) valued at roughly $70.5 million and representing ~0.50% of YPF.
• Quarterly results missed expectations: YPF reported EPS of ($1.67), missing consensus by $2.44, and posted a negative net margin (-4.48%) and negative return on equity.
• Market reaction and insider moves: analysts have issued upgrades (Morgan Stanley, Zacks) and UBS raised its price target to $45, giving an average MarketBeat target of $45.67/"Moderate Buy", while two company VPs sold large blocks of shares, sharply reducing their holdings.

Ping Capital Management Inc. trimmed its stake in YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF - Free Report) by 3.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,948,700 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock after selling 68,300 shares during the period. YPF Sociedad Anónima comprises about 20.3% of Ping Capital Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. Ping Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.50% of YPF Sociedad Anónima worth $70,465,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima by 13.7% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 2,598 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. RWC Asset Management LLP increased its holdings in YPF Sociedad Anónima by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. RWC Asset Management LLP now owns 117,075 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $2,844,000 after buying an additional 519 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in YPF Sociedad Anónima by 58.8% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,034 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 1,123 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima by 488.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,353 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 10.08% of the company's stock.

YPF Sociedad Anónima Stock Down 3.8%

YPF opened at $43.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $17.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -20.58 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.87. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $40.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.26. YPF Sociedad Anónima has a twelve month low of $22.82 and a twelve month high of $48.96.

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The oil and gas exploration company reported ($1.67) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.77 by ($2.44). The firm had revenue of $4.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.14 million. YPF Sociedad Anónima had a negative net margin of 4.48% and a negative return on equity of 0.26%. Equities research analysts anticipate that YPF Sociedad Anónima will post 6.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on YPF shares. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Zacks Research raised shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on YPF Sociedad Anónima from $37.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded YPF Sociedad Anónima from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $45.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Mauricio Alejandro Martin sold 3,430 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.60, for a total transaction of $149,548.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 14 shares in the company, valued at $610.40. This represents a 99.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Marcelo Gustavo Aldeco sold 12,719 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.61, for a total value of $554,675.59. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 101 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,404.61. This represents a 99.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing.

About YPF Sociedad Anónima

YPF Sociedad Anónima NYSE: YPF is an integrated oil and gas company headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The company’s primary businesses encompass upstream exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, midstream transportation and storage, and downstream refining and distribution. YPF operates several major refineries and a nationwide network of service stations, supplying fuels, lubricants, and petrochemical products to both retail and industrial customers.

Founded in 1922 as Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, YPF was the world’s first state‐owned oil company.

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