National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the five brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $7.00.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen cut National CineMedia from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Benchmark dropped their price target on National CineMedia from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 25th. Wedbush reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $7.50 price target on shares of National CineMedia in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, B. Riley cut National CineMedia from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $6.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Friday, May 16th.

National CineMedia Stock Up 1.9%

NCMI stock traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $4.86. The company's stock had a trading volume of 374,705 shares, compared to its average volume of 615,801. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $5.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.87. National CineMedia has a 1 year low of $4.12 and a 1 year high of $7.60. The stock has a market cap of $458.30 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -25.58 and a beta of 2.06.

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The business services provider reported ($0.24) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.20) by ($0.04). National CineMedia had a negative return on equity of 2.83% and a negative net margin of 7.68%. The business had revenue of $34.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $35.13 million. As a group, equities analysts forecast that National CineMedia will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National CineMedia Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were issued a dividend of $0.03 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.47%. National CineMedia's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -63.16%.

Insider Transactions at National CineMedia

In related news, EVP Maria Vg Woods sold 9,038 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.82, for a total transaction of $43,563.16. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 111,246 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $536,205.72. This represents a 7.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of National CineMedia

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in National CineMedia by 502.0% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,081 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 4,237 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in National CineMedia in the 1st quarter worth about $43,000. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new position in National CineMedia in the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets bought a new position in National CineMedia in the 4th quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new position in National CineMedia in the 1st quarter worth about $63,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.49% of the company's stock.

About National CineMedia

National CineMedia, Inc, through its subsidiary, National CineMedia, LLC, operates cinema advertising network in North America. It engages in the sale of advertising to national, regional, and local businesses in Noovie, a cinema advertising and entertainment show seen on movie screens; and sells advertising on its Lobby Entertainment Network, a series of strategically-placed screens located in movie theater lobbies, as well as other forms of advertising and promotions in theatre lobbies.