IES (NASDAQ:IESC) Shares Up 10.5% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Shares jumped ~10.5% to about $534 on Friday despite volume being roughly 47% below average, pushing the stock well above the consensus analyst target of $458.
• Quarterly results missed expectations: EPS was $3.71 vs. $3.94 expected and revenue was $870.96M vs. $876M, though the company reported a 9.7% net margin and 35.6% return on equity.
• Significant insider selling: Insiders disposed of 20,659 shares (~$10.64M) in the last quarter, including sales by the CEO and a director; insiders still hold about 56.43% of the stock.

IES Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:IESC - Get Free Report) shares shot up 10.5% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $534.00 and last traded at $534.0040. 106,800 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 47% from the average session volume of 202,940 shares. The stock had previously closed at $483.38.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on IESC shares. Loop Capital set a $458.00 price objective on IES in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered IES from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of IES in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $458.00.

IES Stock Up 11.2%

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $485.40 and a 200 day moving average of $436.02. The stock has a market cap of $10.71 billion, a PE ratio of 31.98 and a beta of 1.67.

IES (NASDAQ:IESC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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). IES had a net margin of 9.70% and a return on equity of 35.62%. The company had revenue of $870.96 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $876.00 million.

Insider Activity at IES

In other IES news, Director Todd M. Cleveland sold 1,425 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $500.84, for a total value of $713,697.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 78,089 shares in the company, valued at $39,110,094.76. The trade was a 1.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Matthew J. Simmes sold 5,000 shares of the 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 trade represents a 5.07% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 20,659 shares of company stock valued at $10,636,940. 56.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IES

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in IESC. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of IES by 1,014.3% during the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 78 shares of the technology company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of IES during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of IES by 366.7% during the fourth 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 period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of IES by 157.9% in the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 98 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Spire Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of IES in the third quarter valued at $40,000. 86.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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