Geopark (NYSE:GPRK) Shares Cross Below 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Geopark Ltd shares (NYSE:GPRK) have dipped below their 200-day moving average, currently trading at $6.49, raising concerns about potential selling pressure.
• Several analysts have upgraded Geopark's stock ratings, with Wall Street Zen changing its rating from "sell" to "hold" and Santander labeling the stock as "outperform."
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.147, translating to a 9.1% dividend yield, with a payout ratio of 71.08%.

Geopark Ltd (NYSE:GPRK - Get Free Report) crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $6.75 and traded as low as $6.31. Geopark shares last traded at $6.49, with a volume of 839,054 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on GPRK. Wall Street Zen raised Geopark from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, September 5th. Santander started coverage on Geopark in a research report on Friday, August 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Geopark in a research report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $11.00.

Geopark Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $6.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.92, a current ratio of 2.47 and a quick ratio of 2.42. The stock has a market cap of $332.61 million, a PE ratio of 7.82 and a beta of 0.76.

Geopark (NYSE:GPRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The oil and gas company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.12. Geopark had a return on equity of 35.65% and a net margin of 7.70%.The company had revenue of $119.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $123.00 million. Equities analysts predict that Geopark Ltd will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Geopark Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 19th were given a $0.147 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 19th. This represents a $0.59 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.1%. Geopark's dividend payout ratio is presently 71.08%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Geopark

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Geopark in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Geopark in the first quarter worth about $99,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Geopark in the first quarter worth about $100,000. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Geopark in the second quarter worth about $99,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Geopark in the second quarter worth about $113,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.21% of the company's stock.

About Geopark

GeoPark Limited operates as an oil and natural gas exploration and production company primarily in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and other Latin American countries. It engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas reserves. The company was formerly known as GeoPark Holdings Limited and changed its name to GeoPark Limited in July 2013.

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