JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) Stock Price

Key Points

• JPMorgan cut Centrus Energy’s price target from $236 to $178 while maintaining a “neutral” rating, implying about 8.6% upside from the stock’s prior close.
• Centrus shares fell to $163.93, well below their 200-day moving average of $204.71, amid a wide 12-month trading range of $142.13 to $464.25.
• Despite mixed analyst actions, the stock carries a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $244.75; Centrus recently reported quarterly EPS of $1.05, beating estimates of $0.33.

Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU - Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $236.00 to $178.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price indicates a potential upside of 8.58% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on LEU. Weiss Ratings downgraded Centrus Energy from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Zacks Research raised shares of Centrus Energy from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Centrus Energy from $240.00 to $205.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Roth Capital set a $171.00 price objective on shares of Centrus Energy in a research note on Monday. Finally, B. Riley Financial dropped their target price on shares of Centrus Energy from $315.00 to $295.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $244.75.

Centrus Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LEU traded down $5.72 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $163.93. The company had a trading volume of 454,486 shares, compared to its average volume of 977,651. The firm's fifty day moving average is $170.82 and its 200 day moving average is $204.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.22 billion, a PE ratio of 54.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 21.21 and a beta of 1.35. Centrus Energy has a twelve month low of $142.13 and a twelve month high of $464.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 4.88 and a current ratio of 5.72.

Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.72. The business had revenue of $76.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $76.13 million. Centrus Energy had a net margin of 13.40% and a return on equity of 13.10%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.60 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Centrus Energy will post 2.77 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Centrus Energy

In related news, CFO Todd M. Tinelli sold 306 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.55, for a total value of $62,286.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Centrus Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Centrus Energy by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,086,443 shares of the company's stock worth $263,745,000 after acquiring an additional 14,325 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of Centrus Energy by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 895,867 shares of the company's stock worth $217,481,000 after purchasing an additional 114,881 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Centrus Energy by 43.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 473,145 shares of the company's stock worth $114,861,000 after purchasing an additional 143,069 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Centrus Energy by 7.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 414,933 shares of the company's stock worth $100,746,000 after purchasing an additional 29,857 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Centrus Energy by 126.0% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 371,822 shares of the company's stock valued at $90,265,000 after purchasing an additional 207,316 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.96% of the company's stock.

About Centrus Energy

Centrus Energy Corp is a U.S.-based supplier of nuclear fuel and enrichment services, specializing in the production of low-enriched uranium (LEU) for commercial power reactors and highly enriched uranium for naval propulsion. Through its Centrus Global subsidiary, the company provides technical support, fuel fabrication services and recycled uranium products to utilities operating light-water reactors. Centrus also develops advanced centrifuge technologies aimed at improving enrichment efficiency and reducing the cost of nuclear fuel.

Originally founded as the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) in 1998 following a spin-out from the U.S.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.