Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Stock Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Green Plains, Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $6.10 and traded as high as $7.05. Green Plains shares last traded at $6.88, with a volume of 1,326,173 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Green Plains from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $14.00 to $6.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Green Plains from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Bank of America cut shares of Green Plains from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $10.00 to $4.50 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $11.93.

Green Plains Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.38. The stock's fifty day moving average is $4.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.00. The firm has a market cap of $457.79 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.14 and a beta of 1.22.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.88) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.51) by ($0.37). Green Plains had a negative return on equity of 12.76% and a negative net margin of 4.22%. The firm had revenue of $601.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $605.62 million. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.81) EPS. The firm's revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Green Plains, Inc. will post -0.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Green Plains

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in Green Plains by 54.6% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,503 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 3,002 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in Green Plains by 115.2% in the 1st quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 8,981 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 4,808 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group grew its position in Green Plains by 2,313.4% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 9,340 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 8,953 shares in the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Green Plains in the 1st quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Aigen Investment Management LP bought a new position in Green Plains in the 1st quarter valued at about $51,000.

Green Plains Company Profile

Green Plains Inc produces low-carbon fuels in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Ethanol Production, Agribusiness and Energy Services, and Partnership. The Ethanol Production segment produces ethanol, distillers grains, and ultra-high protein and renewable corn oil.