Ituran Location and Control (NASDAQ:ITRN) Hits New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Ituran hit a new 52-week high of $58.40 (last at $56.87) and faces generally bullish analyst sentiment — average rating "Buy" with an average price target of $60.67 and notable upgrades (e.g., Maxim $70, Wall Street Zen strong‑buy).
• The company raised its quarterly dividend from $0.50 to $1.50 (annualized $6.00, yield ~10.6%), but the payout ratio is about 206%, raising questions about dividend sustainability.
• Recent results: EPS of $0.77 on revenue of $93.5M, with a net margin of 16.15% and ROE of 27.27%; market cap is ~$1.13B and the stock trades at a P/E around 19.5 (50-/200-day moving averages $51.05 / $44.92).

Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (NASDAQ:ITRN - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $58.40 and last traded at $56.87, with a volume of 123401 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $57.68.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on ITRN shares. Maxim Group started coverage on Ituran Location and Control in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. They set a "buy" rating and a $70.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Ituran Location and Control from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 12th. Barclays increased their price objective on Ituran Location and Control from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Ituran Location and Control in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $57.00 price target on Ituran Location and Control in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Ituran Location and Control has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $60.67.

Ituran Location and Control Stock Down 1.4%

The business's fifty day moving average is $51.05 and its 200-day moving average is $44.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a PE ratio of 19.54 and a beta of 0.66.

Ituran Location and Control (NASDAQ:ITRN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The industrial products company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Ituran Location and Control had a net margin of 16.15% and a return on equity of 27.27%. The firm had revenue of $93.50 million during the quarter.

Ituran Location and Control Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 30th were issued a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 30th. This is a positive change from Ituran Location and Control's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.6%. Ituran Location and Control's payout ratio is presently 206.19%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ituran Location and Control

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ituran Location and Control by 212.5% in the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 58,864 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,103,000 after purchasing an additional 40,027 shares during the period. Y.D. More Investments Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Ituran Location and Control by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 858,274 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $37,236,000 after purchasing an additional 39,718 shares during the period. CSM Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ituran Location and Control by 30.2% in the 3rd quarter. CSM Advisors LLC now owns 125,435 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,480,000 after purchasing an additional 29,090 shares during the period. J.M. Arbour LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ituran Location and Control in the 4th quarter worth about $881,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of Ituran Location and Control in the 3rd quarter worth about $404,000. 94.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ituran Location and Control

Ituran Location and Control Ltd. is a provider of wireless vehicle tracking and stolen vehicle recovery services. The company leverages a combination of cellular and global positioning system (GPS) technologies to offer real-time monitoring and location-based solutions for private vehicle owners, fleet operators and insurance companies. Its core offerings include subscription-based tracking devices, centralized control centers and software platforms that enable clients to detect unauthorized vehicle use, dispatch recovery teams and manage fleet logistics.

Founded in 1994 in Israel, Ituran pioneered the use of wireless communications for security and telematics applications.

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