IES (NASDAQ:IESC) Shares Down 6.8% - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Shares fell about 6.8% intraday, last trading near $493 with volume of 81,351 shares (down ~60% from the average), while the average analyst price target of $458 sits below the current share price and the consensus rating remains "Buy".
• Quarterly results missed expectations: IES reported EPS of $3.71 vs. the $3.94 consensus and revenue of $870.96 million vs. $876.00 million estimated.
• Notable insider selling: the chairman sold 5,048 shares at about $529.50 and the CEO sold 5,000 shares at about $506.26, part of 20,659 shares (~$10.6M) sold by insiders over the last three months, though insiders still own 56.43% of the stock.

IES Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:IESC - Get Free Report) shares traded down 6.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $505.47 and last traded at $492.9840. 81,351 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 60% from the average session volume of 201,824 shares. The stock had previously closed at $529.22.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded IES from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Loop Capital set a $458.00 price objective on shares of IES in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of IES in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $458.00.

IES Trading Down 8.2%

The company has a fifty day moving average price of $483.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $435.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.91 and a beta of 1.67.

IES (NASDAQ:IESC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The technology company reported $3.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.94 by ($0.23). The company had revenue of $870.96 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $876.00 million. IES had a return on equity of 35.62% and a net margin of 9.70%.

Insider Activity at IES

In other news, Chairman Jeffrey L. Et Al Gendell sold 5,048 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $529.50, for a total transaction of $2,672,916.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 10,590,272 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,607,549,024. This represents a 0.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Matthew J. Simmes sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $506.26, for a total transaction of $2,531,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 93,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $47,373,279.50. This represents a 5.07% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 20,659 shares of company stock worth $10,636,940 over the last three months. Company insiders own 56.43% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IES

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IESC. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of IES by 1,014.3% in the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 78 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of IES in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of IES by 366.7% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 98 shares of the technology company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of IES by 157.9% during the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 98 shares of the technology company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Finally, Spire Wealth Management bought a new position in IES in the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Institutional investors own 86.60% of the company's stock.

IES Company Profile

IES Holdings, Inc NASDAQ: IESC is a specialty contractor providing integrated electrical and mechanical construction services, engineering, and systems integration across North America. The company focuses on delivering end-to-end solutions for commercial, industrial and mission-critical facilities, combining design, build, commission and maintenance capabilities to serve a wide range of markets.

Through its subsidiaries, IES offers a comprehensive portfolio of services including electrical distribution and infrastructure, mechanical contracting, process piping, controls and automation, energy management, and ongoing service and maintenance.

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