Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Trading Up 4.7%

Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) shares rose 4.7% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $22.20 and last traded at $22.13. Approximately 287,222 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 1,171,727 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.14.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GPRE has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TheStreet downgraded shares of Green Plains from a "c-" rating to a "d+" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Truist Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $35.00 target price on shares of Green Plains in a report on Tuesday, March 26th. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Green Plains in a report on Monday, March 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Green Plains from $39.00 to $34.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Green Plains from $33.50 to $31.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $37.40.

Green Plains Stock Up 5.2 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of -13.72 and a beta of 1.60. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $22.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $24.02.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.16 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $712.39 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $782.01 million. Green Plains had a negative net margin of 2.83% and a negative return on equity of 9.67%. Green Plains's revenue for the quarter was down 22.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.66) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Green Plains Inc. will post 0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ejnar A. Knudsen III purchased 4,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $24.73 per share, with a total value of $98,920.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 40,913 shares in the company, valued at $1,011,778.49. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 3.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Green Plains

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPRE. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Green Plains during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in Green Plains by 8,023.1% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,056 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,043 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Green Plains during the 1st quarter worth $46,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd boosted its stake in Green Plains by 39.2% during the 1st quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 1,915 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Equitec Proprietary Markets LLC acquired a new stake in Green Plains during the 3rd quarter worth $81,000.

About Green Plains

Green Plains Inc produces low-carbon fuels in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Ethanol Production, Agribusiness and Energy Services, and Partnership. The Ethanol Production segment produces ethanol, distillers grains, and ultra-high protein and renewable corn oil.