Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) Stock Price Down 6.9% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. — Petrobras were down 6.9% on Wednesday, trading as low as $19.11 and last at $19.2860 on volume of about 21.7 million shares (roughly 27% below the average session volume).
• Analysts are mixed but the consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $16.20, while individual ratings range from Strong Buy to Hold and several firms recently revised targets or ratings.
• The company announced a special dividend of $0.1191 per share (ex-dividend April 24, payable May 28), and key fundamentals show a low P/E of 6.47 with a net margin of 22% and ROE of 24%, reflecting strong profitability.

Shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (NYSE:PBR - Get Free Report) fell 6.9% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $19.11 and last traded at $19.2860. 21,728,467 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 27% from the average session volume of 29,937,408 shares. The stock had previously closed at $20.71.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on PBR. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, March 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras from $14.40 to $14.60 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $20.30 to $19.00 in a report on Friday, March 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $16.20.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras Stock Down 5.0%

The business's fifty day moving average is $17.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.19. The company has a market cap of $126.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.71.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (NYSE:PBR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Sunday, February 15th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras had a net margin of 22.01% and a return on equity of 24.26%. The company had revenue of $23.61 billion during the quarter. Equities analysts predict that Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.1191 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.53%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras by 273.4% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 2,330 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,706 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras by 74.9% during the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,438 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,044 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, BNP Paribas increased its position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras by 241.9% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 4,240 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period.

About Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras

Petróleo Brasileiro SA – Petrobras is a Brazilian, state-controlled integrated oil and gas company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. Founded in 1953, Petrobras is principally engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, and operates across the full value chain from upstream activities through refining, transportation and downstream marketing of petroleum products. The company is a major player in Brazil's energy sector and is a listed public company with global capital market presence.

Petrobras's core activities include deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploration and production, where it has been a pioneer in developing pre-salt reserves off Brazil's coast.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.