Marshall Wace LLP Increases Stock Position in Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLFD)

Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in shares of Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLFD - Free Report) by 13.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 174,767 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 20,269 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 1.24% of Clearfield worth $5,418,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CLFD. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in Clearfield in the 4th quarter worth about $74,000. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its position in Clearfield by 261.4% during the fourth quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 4,879 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $151,000 after purchasing an additional 3,529 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Clearfield by 45.5% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 5,297 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $164,000 after purchasing an additional 1,656 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Clearfield in the 4th quarter worth approximately $233,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its stake in Clearfield by 25.0% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 7,720 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $239,000 after buying an additional 1,544 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.73% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CLFD has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Clearfield from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Clearfield in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $46.75.

Clearfield Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CLFD traded down $0.14 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $29.09. 2,385 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 126,967. The company has a quick ratio of 7.41, a current ratio of 10.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $29.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.28. The firm has a market cap of $411.10 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -46.17 and a beta of 1.51. Clearfield, Inc. has a one year low of $23.78 and a one year high of $44.83.

Clearfield (NASDAQ:CLFD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The communications equipment provider reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Clearfield had a negative return on equity of 3.31% and a negative net margin of 5.41%. Research analysts anticipate that Clearfield, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Clearfield

In other Clearfield news, COO John P. Hill sold 16,539 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.26, for a total value of $550,087.14. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 189,886 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,315,608.36. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 17.80% of the company's stock.

Clearfield Company Profile

Clearfield, Inc manufactures and sells various fiber connectivity products in the United States and internationally. The company offers FieldSmart, a series of panels, cabinets, wall boxes, and other enclosures; WaveSmart, an optical components integrated for signal coupling, splitting, termination, multiplexing, demultiplexing, and attenuation for integration within its fiber management platform; and active cabinet products.