Brokerages Set MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MSTR) Price Target at $552.50

Key Points

• MicroStrategy has received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from 14 brokerages, with one analyst advocating a sell recommendation and 11 suggesting a buy.
• The average 12-month price target set by analysts for MicroStrategy stock is $552.50, reflecting increased investor confidence.
• MicroStrategy's latest quarterly earnings showed a significant earnings per share (EPS) of $32.60, exceeding analyst expectations by $32.72.

Shares of MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MSTR - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $552.50.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on MSTR shares. Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of MicroStrategy in a research report on Wednesday. Monness Crespi & Hardt boosted their price objective on shares of MicroStrategy from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating on shares of MicroStrategy in a report on Wednesday. Barclays restated a "hold" rating on shares of MicroStrategy in a report on Monday, May 19th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of MicroStrategy in a report on Friday, May 16th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MicroStrategy news, Director Jarrod M. Patten acquired 5,555 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 29th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $90.00 per share, with a total value of $499,950.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 5,555 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $499,950. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Phong Le acquired 5,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 29th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $90.00 per share, for a total transaction of $495,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 5,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,000. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders bought 278,132 shares of company stock worth $25,145,795 and sold 194,571 shares worth $78,995,024. Insiders own 8.46% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of MicroStrategy

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dunhill Financial LLC purchased a new position in MicroStrategy during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC increased its position in MicroStrategy by 820.0% during the fourth quarter. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC now owns 92 shares of the software maker's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. First United Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in MicroStrategy during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH increased its position in MicroStrategy by 6,992.7% during the fourth quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 119,654 shares of the software maker's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 117,967 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in MicroStrategy during the second quarter worth about $35,000. 59.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MicroStrategy Trading Down 4.3%

Shares of MSTR stock traded down $16.96 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $372.94. 16,425,927 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,832,885. MicroStrategy has a 12-month low of $113.69 and a 12-month high of $543.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company's 50-day moving average price is $398.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $353.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $101.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.83 and a beta of 3.76.

MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The software maker reported $32.60 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.12) by $32.72. MicroStrategy had a net margin of 1,036.61% and a return on equity of 18.83%. The firm had revenue of $114.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $112.68 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($5.74) EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

MicroStrategy Company Profile

Strategy Incorporated, formerly known as MicroStrategy, provides artificial intelligence-powered enterprise analytics software and services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and internationally. It offers Strategy ONE, a platform that allows non-technical users to access novel and actionable insights for decision-making, and Strategy Cloud for Government, which provides always-on threat monitoring designed to meet the strict technical and regulatory standards of governments and financial institutions.