National Research (NASDAQ:NRC) Hits New 12-Month High Following Earnings Beat

Key Points

• National Research shares reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $23.25 after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.31, beating the consensus estimate by $0.46. Revenue of $35.39 million also exceeded analyst expectations.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $23.00, while Citizens JMP initiated coverage with a “market outperform” rating.
• Institutional investors own 47.26% of the company, and several firms recently increased their positions. National Research provides healthcare analytics and performance-improvement tools to more than 1,600 hospitals and 12,000 care sites.

National Research Corporation (NASDAQ:NRC - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $23.25 and last traded at $22.3080, with a volume of 68706 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $21.27.

The company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.15) by $0.46. National Research had a return on equity of 122.73% and a net margin of 6.52%.The business had revenue of $35.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.90 million.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on NRC shares. Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of National Research in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. They issued a "market outperform" rating and a $23.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings raised shares of National Research from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $23.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Research

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of National Research by 85.6% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,997 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 921 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of National Research by 9,535.3% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,638 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 1,621 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in National Research by 85.4% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,496 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,150 shares during the period. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in National Research during the first quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in National Research during the second quarter worth about $34,000. 47.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

National Research Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $508.15 million, a PE ratio of 57.28 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.48. The company has a 50-day moving average of $20.38 and a 200 day moving average of $18.31.

National Research Company Profile

National Research Corp NASDAQ: NRC, also known as NRC Health, is a healthcare analytics and performance improvement company specializing in patient and employee experience measurement. The company's cloud-based platform enables healthcare providers to collect real-time feedback through patient satisfaction surveys, post-discharge outreach, and employee engagement tools. NRC Health integrates clinical, operational and financial data to deliver actionable insights that support quality improvement initiatives and value-based care programs.

Since its founding in the early 1990s and headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, National Research has expanded beyond its regional roots to serve more than 1,600 hospitals and 12,000 care sites across the United States and Canada.

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