NPK International (NYSE:NPKI) Trading Down 6.8% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares of NPK International fell 6.8% intraday to $15.23 (low $14.11) from a $16.35 close, with 340,946 shares traded—down 54% versus average session volume.
• Analyst moves: Wall Street Zen downgraded NPKI to a "hold," while the consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $14.17.
• Significant insider activity: CFO Gregg Piontek sold 108,590 shares at about $14.07 (~$1.53M), insiders have sold 161,603 shares in the last 90 days, and institutional ownership stands at 80.81% with several large funds adding stakes.

Shares of NPK International Inc. (NYSE:NPKI - Get Free Report) fell 6.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $14.11 and last traded at $15.2330. 340,946 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 54% from the average session volume of 735,370 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.35.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut shares of NPK International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, NPK International has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $14.17.

NPK International Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The stock's 50-day moving average is $14.46 and its 200-day moving average is $13.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.59 and a beta of 1.26.

NPK International (NYSE:NPKI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.01. NPK International had a net margin of 14.06% and a return on equity of 10.83%. The firm had revenue of $75.07 million during the quarter. On average, analysts predict that NPK International Inc. will post 0.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at NPK International

In other NPK International news, CFO Gregg Piontek sold 108,590 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.07, for a total value of $1,527,861.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 884,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,442,466.82. This represents a 10.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Michael A. Lewis sold 2,013 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.31, for a total transaction of $28,806.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 131,333 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,879,375.23. This trade represents a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 161,603 shares of company stock valued at $2,303,677. Corporate insiders own 4.20% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NPK International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of NPK International during the second quarter worth $51,903,000. Wasatch Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of NPK International during the second quarter worth $25,341,000. Conversant Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NPK International during the second quarter worth $23,103,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans acquired a new stake in shares of NPK International during the fourth quarter worth $18,926,000. Finally, Cannell Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NPK International during the second quarter worth $12,917,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NPK International Company Profile

NPK International, Inc NYSE: NPKI is a specialty chemical distributor supplying a broad range of industrial and performance materials across diverse end-markets. Its product portfolio includes acetic acid and derivatives, alcohols, ketones, esters, glycol ethers, glycols, specialty solvents, select inorganic chemicals and crop-protection intermediates. These materials serve industries such as coatings, adhesives and sealants, oil and gas, personal care, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and water treatment.

The company places a strong emphasis on supply-chain security and technical service, maintaining warehousing, logistics support and laboratory capabilities at its regional distribution centers.

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