BKV (NYSE:BKV) Shares Gap Up - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• BKV shares opened higher, rising from a prior close of $21.81 to $22.47 before trading near $21.94.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $33.56, despite some recent target reductions.
• BKV exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.46 in EPS versus the $0.25 estimate and revenue of $465.54 million versus $355.25 million expected; however, insiders have sold 28,198 shares worth about $733,271 over the past 90 days.

BKV Corporation (NYSE:BKV - Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Monday. The stock had previously closed at $21.81, but opened at $22.47. BKV shares last traded at $21.9370, with a volume of 65,178 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on BKV. Wall Street Zen raised BKV from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, September 19th. Evercore upgraded shares of BKV to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $34.00 target price on shares of BKV in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of BKV from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of BKV from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $33.56.

BKV Stock Up 0.6%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $24.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.52. The firm has a market cap of $2.40 billion, a PE ratio of 8.00 and a beta of 1.06.

BKV (NYSE:BKV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.21. BKV had a return on equity of 6.67% and a net margin of 17.73%.The firm had revenue of $465.54 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $355.25 million. Sell-side analysts predict that BKV Corporation will post 1.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at BKV

In related news, SVP Javier Hinojosa sold 12,377 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.73, for a total transaction of $318,460.21. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 84,276 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,168,421.48. This trade represents a 12.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO David Tameron sold 4,321 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.56, for a total transaction of $114,765.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 58,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,554,397.44. The trade was a 6.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 28,198 shares of company stock worth $733,271. Corporate insiders own 2.51% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of BKV

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of BKV in the fourth quarter worth $52,000. PEAK6 LLC bought a new stake in BKV in the 2nd quarter worth about $270,000. Arizona State Retirement System bought a new stake in BKV in the 2nd quarter worth about $289,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in BKV in the 2nd quarter worth about $446,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new position in BKV in the 2nd quarter worth about $479,000.

About BKV

BKV Corporation is an energy company focused on the development, production and marketing of natural gas and related energy products. Its operations include upstream exploration and production, as well as midstream activities that support the gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas.

The company has also pursued lower-carbon energy initiatives, including carbon capture, utilization and storage projects designed to reduce emissions associated with natural gas production. BKV's activities are primarily concentrated in major U.S.

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