Green Plains, Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Green Plains has a consensus analyst rating of “Hold”, based on nine covering firms: two sell ratings, four holds, and three buys. The average 12-month price target is about $15.43.
• Recent analyst moves were mixed, with UBS raising its target to $20 while keeping a neutral rating, and BMO Capital Markets lifting its target to $15 with a market perform rating. Other firms recently downgraded or reiterated more cautious views.
• The stock closed at $19.23, near its 52-week high of $19.65, and Green Plains reported a better-than-expected quarterly EPS of $0.42 despite lower revenue year over year. The company also carries a market cap of $1.35 billion and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

Green Plains, Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the nine research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $15.4286.

Several analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Green Plains from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Green Plains from $12.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Green Plains from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Green Plains in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Green Plains from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Green Plains

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Green Plains during the 2nd quarter worth about $61,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Green Plains during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $67,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Green Plains in the third quarter valued at approximately $95,000. Marex Group plc purchased a new position in Green Plains in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $98,000. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Green Plains during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $98,000.

Green Plains Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GPRE opened at $19.23 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.35 billion, a P/E ratio of -58.27 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Green Plains has a 52 week low of $7.07 and a 52 week high of $19.65. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $15.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.73.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.43. Green Plains had a positive return on equity of 2.86% and a negative net margin of 0.80%.The firm had revenue of $445.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $532.53 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($1.14) earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 25.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Green Plains will post 2.1 EPS for the current year.

Green Plains Company Profile

Green Plains Inc is a leading producer of fuel-grade ethanol and related co-products in the United States. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the company operates an integrated network of biorefineries that convert corn and other grains into renewable fuels. Through its production facilities, Green Plains supplies ethanol to domestic fuel markets and export channels, supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote cleaner-burning transportation options.

Beyond ethanol, Green Plains manufactures a range of co-products that add value throughout the agricultural supply chain.

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