Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Kosmos Energy briefly crossed above its 200-day moving average, trading as high as $3.03 before last changing hands at $2.81. The move came alongside heavy volume of 9.76 million shares.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $2.44. Recent calls included downgrades from Goldman Sachs and RBC, though Mizuho raised its target to $3.00.
• The company recently reported a quarterly earnings miss, posting a loss of $0.07 per share versus expectations for a profit of $0.08. Revenue also came in below estimates at $370.73 million.

Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $2.00 and traded as high as $3.03. Kosmos Energy shares last traded at $2.81, with a volume of 9,760,765 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on KOS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Kosmos Energy from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $2.25 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Kosmos Energy to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kosmos Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kosmos Energy from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Mizuho reaffirmed an "underperform" rating and set a $3.00 target price (up from $2.00) on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kosmos Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $2.44.

Kosmos Energy Trading Down 7.0%

The firm has a market cap of $1.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.56, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.36. The firm's fifty day moving average is $2.88 and its 200-day moving average is $2.00.

Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The oil and gas producer reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.08 by ($0.15). The firm had revenue of $370.73 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $405.21 million. Kosmos Energy had a negative net margin of 59.38% and a negative return on equity of 37.60%. Equities analysts anticipate that Kosmos Energy Ltd. will post 0.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Kosmos Energy news, CFO Nealesh D. Shah bought 157,894 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $1.90 per share, for a total transaction of $299,998.60. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 1,863,061 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,539,815.90. The trade was a 9.26% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director J Michael Stice bought 52,631 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $1.90 per share, for a total transaction of $99,998.90. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 207,620 shares in the company, valued at $394,478. The trade was a 33.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 3,684,210 shares of company stock valued at $6,999,999 and have sold 125,568 shares valued at $342,801. 1.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kosmos Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KOS. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kosmos Energy by 175.2% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,766,857 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $6,140,000 after acquiring an additional 4,308,275 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kosmos Energy by 224.0% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 5,339,638 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $14,844,000 after acquiring an additional 3,691,800 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Kosmos Energy by 66.9% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 7,048,196 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $6,396,000 after purchasing an additional 2,825,517 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its position in Kosmos Energy by 333.0% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 3,221,011 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $5,540,000 after purchasing an additional 2,477,102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&G PLC grew its position in Kosmos Energy by 38.3% in the 3rd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 7,978,144 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $13,244,000 after purchasing an additional 2,210,302 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.33% of the company's stock.

Kosmos Energy Company Profile

Kosmos Energy Ltd. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Since its founding in 2003, the company has focused on identifying and developing hydrocarbon reserves in frontier and emerging basins around the world. Kosmos combines geological and geophysical expertise with a disciplined approach to acreage acquisition and partner selection to pursue high‐impact offshore exploration opportunities.

The company's portfolio is anchored by assets in West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.

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