Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Green Plains (GPRE) from a "strong sell" to a "hold"; analyst opinions remain mixed (3 Buy, 4 Hold, 2 Sell) with a consensus price target of $13.14 and several firms recently raising targets into the $14–$16 range.
• Green Plains beat EPS estimates ($0.17 vs. $0.07) but missed revenue ($428.85M vs. $536.56M), with revenue down 26.6% YoY and negative net margin/ROE; the stock trades near $15.22 with a $1.06B market cap and a 12‑month range of $3.14–$16.35.
• Institutional investors have been active buyers recently, with firms such as Vanguard, BNP Paribas, Jacobs Levy and Thomist Capital materially increasing their stakes in GPRE.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Green Plains from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Green Plains in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Green Plains from $7.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Green Plains from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Green Plains from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $13.14.

Green Plains Stock Performance

NASDAQ GPRE opened at $15.22 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.05, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.46. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $12.63 and a 200 day moving average of $10.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Green Plains has a twelve month low of $3.14 and a twelve month high of $16.35.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.10. Green Plains had a negative net margin of 5.80% and a negative return on equity of 8.70%. The company had revenue of $428.85 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $536.56 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.86) earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 26.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Green Plains will post -0.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPRE. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Green Plains in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $8,561,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of Green Plains by 112.6% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,823,740 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $17,873,000 after purchasing an additional 966,069 shares in the last quarter. Clifford Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Green Plains by 201.2% in the 2nd quarter. Clifford Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,386,961 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $8,363,000 after purchasing an additional 926,553 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Green Plains by 15.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,696,401 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $46,025,000 after purchasing an additional 645,170 shares during the period. Finally, Thomist Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Green Plains by 619.8% during the fourth quarter. Thomist Capital Management LP now owns 747,192 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $7,270,000 after buying an additional 643,392 shares in 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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