Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Share Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Green Plains shares crossed above their 200-day moving average, reaching $16.51 before closing at $16.02, compared with a 200-day average of $15.66.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: three analysts rate the stock Buy, three Hold and three Sell. The consensus rating is Hold, with a target price of $15.43.
• Green Plains reported quarterly EPS of $0.83, beating estimates of $0.54, although revenue of $446.22 million fell short of the $542.38 million consensus forecast.

Green Plains, Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $15.66 and traded as high as $16.51. Green Plains shares last traded at $16.02, with a volume of 1,216,610 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on GPRE shares. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Green Plains in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Green Plains in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Green Plains from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Green Plains in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Green Plains from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $15.43.

Green Plains Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.08 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 1.58.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.29. Green Plains had a return on equity of 14.52% and a net margin of 6.78%.The company had revenue of $446.22 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $542.38 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($1.09) EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Green Plains, Inc. will post 2.04 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Green Plains

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPRE. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in Green Plains by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 34,606 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 1,095 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in shares of Green Plains by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 100,159 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $604,000 after buying an additional 1,246 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Green Plains by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 12,275 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $120,000 after buying an additional 1,290 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP increased its stake in shares of Green Plains by 22.9% during the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 9,304 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $91,000 after buying an additional 1,736 shares during the period. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Green Plains by 8.5% during the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 28,547 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $251,000 after buying an additional 2,245 shares during the period.

About Green Plains

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source