Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is mixed but slightly bullish: Post Holdings has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from eight analysts, with four buy and four hold ratings. The average 12-month price target is $117.
• Recent analyst actions have been cautious: Wells Fargo and JPMorgan both trimmed their price targets, while other firms either downgraded the stock or initiated coverage with neutral/equal-weight views.
• Post beat earnings but missed on revenue: In its latest quarterly report, the company posted $1.94 EPS, topping estimates, while revenue came in slightly below expectations at $2.04 billion. Revenue still rose 4.7% year over year.

Shares of Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eight brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $117.00.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on POST shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Post from $110.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Post from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Post from $133.00 to $119.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Post from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on Post in a research note on Monday, April 13th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company.

Post Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE POST traded up $1.60 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $86.30. 728,214 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 811,148. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $93.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $99.01. The company has a market cap of $3.91 billion, a PE ratio of 14.53 and a beta of 0.39. Post has a twelve month low of $83.89 and a twelve month high of $117.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.38, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.03.

Post (NYSE:POST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.73 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $2.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.08 billion. Post had a net margin of 4.01% and a return on equity of 13.36%. Post's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.41 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Post will post 7.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Post

In other news, Director Gregory L. Curl sold 6,186 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.05, for a total transaction of $649,839.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 15,107 shares in the company, valued at $1,586,990.35. This trade represents a 29.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 14.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Post

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in POST. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Post during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in Post by 119.5% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 248 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Post by 62.8% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 267 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Post during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Highlander Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in Post during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 94.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Post News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Post this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Post Holdings is actively offsetting inflation through pricing actions, cost reductions, and a stronger private-label mix, which could help preserve earnings power. How Is Post Holdings Navigating Through Inflation & Cost Pressures?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another Zacks article asked whether value investors should buy POST, suggesting the stock is being viewed through a valuation lens rather than on a fresh operational catalyst. Should Value Investors Buy Post Holdings (POST) Stock?

About Post

Post Holdings, Inc is a consumer packaged goods company that operates as a holding company for a diverse portfolio of food and beverage brands. The company's principal activities include the production, marketing and distribution of ready-to-eat cereal, refrigerated and frozen foods, and nutritional beverages. Through its operating segments—Post Consumer Brands, Foodservice, Refrigerated Side Dishes & Bakery, and Active Nutrition—Post Holdings delivers a broad array of products to retail grocers, convenience stores, foodservice operators and e-commerce channels.

The Post Consumer Brands segment features a variety of hot and cold cereals under names such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Shredded Wheat and Pebbles.

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.