NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT) Reaches New 12-Month High Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• NetScout Systems shares hit a new 52-week high after Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target from $29 to $38, helping push the stock as high as $40.33 in trading.
• The company recently beat earnings expectations, reporting $0.52 EPS versus $0.46 expected and revenue of $203.04 million versus $198.64 million estimated.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, with a consensus price target of $35.50, while institutional ownership remains high at 91.64%.

NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTCT - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday after Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on the stock from $29.00 to $38.00. Royal Bank Of Canada currently has a sector perform rating on the stock. NetScout Systems traded as high as $40.33 and last traded at $40.3160, with a volume of 36555 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $39.09.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of NetScout Systems from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of NetScout Systems from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $35.50.

Insider Activity at NetScout Systems

In related news, EVP John Downing sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.00, for a total value of $90,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 129,494 shares in the company, valued at $3,884,820. The trade was a 2.26% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.82% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in NetScout Systems by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 13,587 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 437 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio lifted its holdings in NetScout Systems by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 32,700 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $845,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in NetScout Systems by 147.2% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,011 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in NetScout Systems by 6.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 10,552 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $262,000 after purchasing an additional 615 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in NetScout Systems by 14.5% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 4,883 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. 91.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NetScout Systems Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $2.92 billion, a PE ratio of 31.10 and a beta of 0.61. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $31.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $29.10.

NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The technology company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $203.04 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $198.64 million. NetScout Systems had a net margin of 11.11% and a return on equity of 8.37%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. NetScout Systems has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.650-2.800 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that NetScout Systems, Inc. will post 1.83 EPS for the current year.

NetScout Systems Company Profile

NetScout Systems, Inc is a leading provider of network performance management, service assurance and cybersecurity solutions. The company designs and delivers hardware and software platforms that capture and analyze real-time and historical packet data, enabling IT teams and service providers to monitor application performance, troubleshoot network issues and defend against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. NetScout's flagship offerings include the nGeniusONE service assurance platform and the InfiniStream packet broker, which together provide end-to-end visibility across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts, NetScout has built a reputation for scalable and resilient monitoring infrastructure.

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