Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Shares Down 7.2% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Green Plains shares fell 7.2% in midday trading, dropping to as low as $17.97 after closing at $19.23 the previous session, with volume well below average.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: several firms raised price targets to around $20, but the overall consensus remains Hold with an average target price of $15.43.
• The company recently reported better-than-expected EPS of $0.42, though revenue missed estimates and fell 25.9% year over year, indicating ongoing pressure on sales.

Green Plains, Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report)'s share price fell 7.2% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $17.97 and last traded at $17.8530. Approximately 214,467 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 1,531,258 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.23.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group boosted their price target on Green Plains from $12.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Green Plains in a report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Green Plains in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Green Plains from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on Green Plains from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $15.43.

Green Plains Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $15.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.76. The company has a market capitalization of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -52.59 and a beta of 1.19.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.01) by $0.43. The firm had revenue of $445.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $532.53 million. Green Plains had a positive return on equity of 2.86% and a negative net margin of 0.80%.The firm's quarterly revenue was down 25.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($1.14) EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Green Plains, Inc. will post 2.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Green Plains

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GPRE. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in Green Plains by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 34,606 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $339,000 after acquiring an additional 1,095 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Green Plains by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,936 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $175,000 after purchasing an additional 1,128 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of Green Plains by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 100,159 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $604,000 after purchasing an additional 1,246 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 1,290 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Green Plains by 22.9% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 9,304 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 1,736 shares during the last quarter.

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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