NPK International (NYSE:NPKI) Hits New 1-Year High - Here's Why

Key Points

• NPK International (NYSE:NPKI) reached a new 52-week high of $12.29 during trading, with significant trading volume of 677,794 shares.
• Analysts have upgraded their ratings on NPK International, with three giving a "Buy" recommendation and one a "Hold," indicating positive growth expectations for the company.
• Insider selling activity has been noted, with CEO Matthew Lanigan selling nearly 69,000 shares, while institutional investors hold 80.81% of the company's stock.

NPK International Inc. (NYSE:NPKI - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $12.29 and last traded at $12.29, with a volume of 677794 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $12.10.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NPKI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of NPK International from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Roth Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $12.00 price target (up previously from $10.00) on shares of NPK International in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, B. Riley boosted their target price on shares of NPK International from $11.00 to $12.50 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $12.17.

NPK International Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.31 and a beta of 2.10. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $10.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $8.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.34 and a quick ratio of 2.08.

NPK International (NYSE:NPKI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 2nd. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $142.25 million during the quarter. NPK International had a negative net margin of 62.59% and a positive return on equity of 8.29%. Equities analysts anticipate that NPK International Inc. will post 0.39 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at NPK International

In related news, CEO Matthew Lanigan sold 68,896 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.34, for a total value of $712,384.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,095,913 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,331,740.42. The trade was a 5.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Lori Briggs sold 8,005 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.51, for a total value of $76,127.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 252,621 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,402,425.71. This trade represents a 3.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 79,914 shares of company stock valued at $819,686. 4.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NPKI. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in NPK International during the second quarter worth about $7,615,000. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC acquired a new position in NPK International during the second quarter worth about $188,000. Diversified Trust Co acquired a new position in NPK International during the second quarter worth about $210,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in NPK International during the second quarter worth about $66,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in NPK International during the second quarter worth about $458,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company's stock.

NPK International Company Profile

NPK International Inc provides products, rentals, and services primarily to the oil and natural gas exploration and production (E&P) industry. It operates through two segments, Fluids Systems and Industrial Solutions. The Fluids Systems segment provides drilling, completion, and stimulation fluids products and related technical services to customers primarily in the North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as other countries in the Asia Pacific and Latin America.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.