Marshall Wace LLP Has $1.19 Million Position in Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN)

Marshall Wace LLP lowered its stake in Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN - Free Report) by 63.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 31,101 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 53,462 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned about 0.22% of Willdan Group worth $1,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC acquired a new stake in Willdan Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $15,608,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Willdan Group by 82.8% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 76,586 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,136,000 after acquiring an additional 34,699 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in Willdan Group during the third quarter worth about $351,000. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Willdan Group by 0.5% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 294,797 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $12,075,000 after purchasing an additional 1,514 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its stake in Willdan Group by 245.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 17,301 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $708,000 after purchasing an additional 12,297 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Willdan Group Stock Performance

WLDN traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $40.02. The company's stock had a trading volume of 8,197 shares, compared to its average volume of 130,910. The company's 50-day moving average is $38.69 and its 200-day moving average is $39.41. Willdan Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $27.19 and a 52 week high of $50.00. The firm has a market cap of $580.17 million, a PE ratio of 24.55 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a current ratio of 1.77.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on WLDN. Wedbush raised Willdan Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Willdan Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mohammad Shahidehpour sold 2,273 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.20, for a total value of $89,101.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 12,767 shares in the company, valued at $500,466.40. The trade was a 15.11 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.80% of the company's stock.

Willdan Group Profile

Willdan Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional, technical, and consulting services primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Energy, and Engineering and Consulting. The Energy segment offers comprehensive audit and surveys, program design and implementation, master planning, demand reduction, grid optimization, benchmarking analyses, design engineering, construction management, performance contracting, installation, alternative financing, measurement and verification services, and software and data analytics, as well as energy consulting and engineering, turnkey facility and infrastructure projects, and customer support services.