PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) Stake Lifted by Los Angeles Capital Management LLC

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT - Free Report) by 165.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,542 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 9,072 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC's holdings in PriceSmart were worth $1,102,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PSMT. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of PriceSmart by 235.9% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 4,847 shares of the company's stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 3,404 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of PriceSmart by 0.7% in the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 94,848 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,060,000 after purchasing an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its holdings in shares of PriceSmart by 18.1% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 5,371 shares of the company's stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 824 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of PriceSmart during the third quarter worth about $316,000. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of PriceSmart by 9.2% during the third quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 23,700 shares of the company's stock worth $1,764,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. 80.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PriceSmart Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:PSMT traded down $0.36 during trading on Thursday, hitting $85.40. 103,571 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 156,735. The stock has a market cap of $2.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.46 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. PriceSmart, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $61.82 and a fifty-two week high of $86.90. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $82.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $76.66.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 10th. The company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. PriceSmart had a net margin of 2.62% and a return on equity of 11.85%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.25 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that PriceSmart, Inc. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PriceSmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a None dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 19th were given a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 18th. PriceSmart's payout ratio is 29.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com downgraded PriceSmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 13th. TheStreet upgraded shares of PriceSmart from a "c+" rating to a "b-" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of PriceSmart from $82.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th.

Insider Transactions at PriceSmart

In other news, Director Edgar Zurcher sold 1,075 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.08, for a total transaction of $85,011.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 8,822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $697,643.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Gordon H. Hanson sold 937 shares of PriceSmart stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.86, for a total transaction of $74,828.82. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 7,969 shares of the company's stock, valued at $636,404.34. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Edgar Zurcher sold 1,075 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.08, for a total transaction of $85,011.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,822 shares in the company, valued at $697,643.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 19,458 shares of company stock worth $1,598,435. 18.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

PriceSmart Profile

PriceSmart, Inc owns and operates U.S.-style membership shopping warehouse clubs in the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and Colombia. The company provides basic and private label consumer products under the Member's Selection brand, including groceries, cleaning supplies, health and beauty aids, meat, produce, deli, seafood, and poultry.