Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCSG) Receives Consensus Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Healthcare Services Group has a consensus analyst rating of Hold from nine firms (five Hold, four Buy) with an average 1‑year price target of $22.00.
• In the most recent quarter HCSG beat EPS expectations ($0.44 vs. $0.23) and reported revenue of $466.7M (up 6.6% YoY) but slightly missed the revenue estimate; the stock trades near $19.35 with a 1‑year range of $9.31–$22.98 and a market cap of about $1.33B.
• Insiders have sold roughly 146,962 shares (~$3.01M) over the past 90 days, while institutional investors and hedge funds own about 97.97% of the company.

Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCSG - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the nine research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $22.00.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on HCSG. Robert W. Baird set a $23.00 price target on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. UBS Group set a $25.00 price target on shares of Healthcare Services Group and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $22.00 price target on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a research note on Thursday, February 12th.

Healthcare Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of HCSG opened at $19.35 on Wednesday. Healthcare Services Group has a 1 year low of $9.31 and a 1 year high of $22.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.60 and a beta of 0.80. The company's fifty day moving average is $19.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.94.

Healthcare Services Group (NASDAQ:HCSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.21. Healthcare Services Group had a net margin of 3.21% and a return on equity of 16.04%. The business had revenue of $466.68 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $467.24 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.16 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Healthcare Services Group will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Healthcare Services Group

In other news, EVP Patrick J. Orr sold 44,615 shares of Healthcare Services Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.53, for a total transaction of $915,945.95. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Andrew M. Brophy sold 2,490 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.75, for a total transaction of $54,157.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 15,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $342,236.25. The trade was a 13.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 146,962 shares of company stock valued at $3,014,100. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Healthcare Services Group

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Miller Global Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Healthcare Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Healthcare Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Healthcare Services Group by 163.4% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,186 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,356 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Healthcare Services Group by 94.9% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,843 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,384 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in Healthcare Services Group by 32.0% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,619 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 877 shares during the last quarter. 97.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Healthcare Services Group

Healthcare Services Group, Inc NASDAQ: HCSG is a leading provider of support services to healthcare facilities across the United States. The company specializes in environmental services, including housekeeping and sanitation, as well as linen and laundry management. In addition, Healthcare Services Group offers dietary and nutrition services, catering to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and other long-term care providers.

Founded as a family-owned business in the late 1970s, the company completed its initial public offering in 1997.

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