NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTCT) Stock Holdings Raised by Geode Capital Management LLC

Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTCT - Free Report) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,959,996 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 30,445 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 2.73% of NetScout Systems worth $42,463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of NetScout Systems by 137.7% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 388,286 shares of the technology company's stock worth $8,410,000 after acquiring an additional 224,925 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in NetScout Systems during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,480,000. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of NetScout Systems by 102.9% during the 4th quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 392,566 shares of the technology company's stock worth $8,503,000 after buying an additional 199,079 shares in the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems by 34.1% in the 4th quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 598,611 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $12,966,000 after buying an additional 152,224 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in shares of NetScout Systems in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,136,000. 91.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NetScout Systems Price Performance

NetScout Systems stock traded down $0.21 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $19.84. 528,899 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 539,374. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $21.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.86. NetScout Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $17.10 and a 1 year high of $27.89. The company has a market capitalization of $1.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.39 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a current ratio of 1.81.

NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The technology company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.04. NetScout Systems had a negative net margin of 50.90% and a positive return on equity of 6.76%. On average, analysts anticipate that NetScout Systems, Inc. will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Michael Szabados sold 6,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.47, for a total value of $152,555.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 35,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $844,661.83. This trade represents a 15.30 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Downing sold 3,000 shares of NetScout Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.25, for a total transaction of $72,750.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 130,352 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,161,036. This trade represents a 2.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 21,499 shares of company stock valued at $512,321. 3.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on NetScout Systems from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st.

NetScout Systems Profile

NetScout Systems, Inc provides service assurance and cybersecurity solutions for protect digital business services against disruptions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company offers nGeniusONE management software that enables customers to predict, preempt, and resolve network and service delivery problems, as well as facilitate the optimization and capacity planning of their network infrastructures; and specialized platforms and analytic modules that enable its customers to analyze and troubleshoot traffic in radio access and Wi-Fi networks.