Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $37.00.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on GDEN shares. JMP Securities cut their target price on Golden Entertainment from $37.00 to $36.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Golden Entertainment from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Macquarie reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $40.00 target price on shares of Golden Entertainment in a research report on Friday, February 28th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Golden Entertainment

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Golden Entertainment during the first quarter valued at $298,000. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in Golden Entertainment by 22.9% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 34,913 shares of the company's stock worth $921,000 after acquiring an additional 6,498 shares in the last quarter. 1060 Capital LLC increased its position in Golden Entertainment by 328.6% during the 1st quarter. 1060 Capital LLC now owns 300,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,917,000 after purchasing an additional 230,000 shares during the period. State of Wyoming raised its holdings in shares of Golden Entertainment by 24.5% in the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 10,662 shares of the company's stock valued at $281,000 after purchasing an additional 2,098 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP lifted its position in shares of Golden Entertainment by 419.9% in the 1st quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 42,198 shares of the company's stock worth $1,114,000 after purchasing an additional 34,081 shares during the period. 70.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Golden Entertainment Trading Up 1.1%

GDEN stock traded up $0.29 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $27.08. 202,229 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 223,201. Golden Entertainment has a one year low of $22.66 and a one year high of $35.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $715.86 million, a PE ratio of 21.84 and a beta of 1.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.11. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $26.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.87.

Golden Entertainment (NASDAQ:GDEN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.10 by ($0.01). Golden Entertainment had a return on equity of 0.69% and a net margin of 5.23%. The firm had revenue of $160.84 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $164.37 million. Equities research analysts expect that Golden Entertainment will post 0.2 EPS for the current year.

Golden Entertainment Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 9th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 25th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.69%. Golden Entertainment's payout ratio is currently 256.41%.

About Golden Entertainment

Golden Entertainment, Inc owns and operates a diversified entertainment platform in the United States. The company operates through four segments; Nevada Casino Resorts, Nevada Locals Casinos, Nevada Taverns, and Distributed Gaming. It also operates casino, casino resorts, and taverns; and slot machines in third party non-casino locations.