L.B. Foster (NASDAQ:FSTR) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Buy Rating

L.B. Foster (NASDAQ:FSTR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Friday.

Separately, B. Riley started coverage on L.B. Foster in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $25.00 target price on the stock.

L.B. Foster Trading Down 1.1%

FSTR traded down $0.22 during trading on Friday, hitting $18.95. The company's stock had a trading volume of 22,537 shares, compared to its average volume of 53,844. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $19.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $24.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.27 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The stock has a market cap of $200.09 million, a PE ratio of 4.87 and a beta of 0.95. L.B. Foster has a twelve month low of $14.23 and a twelve month high of $29.78.

L.B. Foster (NASDAQ:FSTR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The basic materials company reported ($0.20) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.01 by ($0.21). The business had revenue of $97.79 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $114.40 million. L.B. Foster had a net margin of 7.96% and a return on equity of 6.01%. On average, analysts expect that L.B. Foster will post 1.16 earnings per share for the current year.

L.B. Foster declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, March 4th that permits the company to repurchase $40.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the basic materials company to purchase up to 16.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in FSTR. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in L.B. Foster by 197.2% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 6,368 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $171,000 after purchasing an additional 4,225 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in L.B. Foster in the 4th quarter valued at $349,000. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in L.B. Foster in the 4th quarter valued at $1,784,000. 80.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About L.B. Foster

L.B. Foster Company provides engineered and manufactured products and services for the building and infrastructure projects in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Rail, Technologies, and Services; and Infrastructure Solutions. The Rail, Technologies, and Services segment offers new rail to passenger and short line freight railroads, industrial companies, and rail contractors, as well as used rails; rail accessories, such as rack spikes, bolts, angle bars, tie plates, and other products; insulated rail joints and related accessories; fixation fasteners, coverboards, and special accessories; and trackwork products.