Mercury Systems (NASDAQ:MRCY) Shares Up 3.8% - Should You Buy?

Shares of Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRCY - Get Free Report) rose 3.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $53.00 and last traded at $53.53. Approximately 142,993 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average daily volume of 590,402 shares. The stock had previously closed at $51.57.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRCY has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial increased their price target on Mercury Systems from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Mercury Systems from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Mercury Systems from $48.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Mercury Systems from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Mercury Systems presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $49.57.

Mercury Systems Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 3.62, a quick ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market cap of $2.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -31.75 and a beta of 0.68. The company's 50-day moving average is $48.67 and its 200-day moving average is $44.82.

Mercury Systems (NASDAQ:MRCY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The technology company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.06. The business had revenue of $211.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $204.25 million. Mercury Systems had a negative net margin of 10.23% and a negative return on equity of 2.03%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.26) EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Mercury Systems, Inc. will post -0.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Mercury Systems news, Director Jana Partners Management, Lp sold 88,152 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total value of $4,078,793.04. Following the sale, the director now owns 6,861,313 shares in the company, valued at $317,472,952.51. This trade represents a 1.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Steven Ratner sold 3,892 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total transaction of $185,648.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 56,187 shares in the company, valued at $2,680,119.90. This represents a 6.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Mercury Systems

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Mercury Systems during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mercury Systems by 59.6% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,058 shares of the technology company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of Mercury Systems by 53.8% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,290 shares of the technology company's stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 451 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mercury Systems by 762.6% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,639 shares of the technology company's stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 1,449 shares during the period. Finally, Nkcfo LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mercury Systems during the first quarter worth $72,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.99% of the company's stock.

Mercury Systems Company Profile

Mercury Systems, Inc, a technology company, manufactures and sells components, products, modules, and subsystems for aerospace and defense industries in the United States, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Its products and solutions are deployed in approximately 300 programs with 25 defense contractors and commercial aviation customers.