Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) Shares Up 5.1% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Bristow Group shares rose 5.1% to about $40.23 in Tuesday mid-day trading, while trading volume was 59% below its average.
• Analyst views are mixed: Zacks Research downgraded the stock to “strong sell,” while Raymond James maintained “outperform” with a $63 price target. Overall, the stock carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating.
• The company missed quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting $0.93 per share versus $1.15 expected and $437.92 million in revenue versus $443.25 million expected. It also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share.

Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE:VTOL - Get Free Report) traded up 5.1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as high as $40.28 and last traded at $40.2260. Approximately 94,085 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 59% from the average session volume of 232,265 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.27.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on VTOL. Zacks Research lowered Bristow Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Friday. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Bristow Group in a report on Thursday, November 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Bristow Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $63.00.

Bristow Group Trading Up 5.0%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.06 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 1.85. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $41.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.91.

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.22). The firm had revenue of $437.92 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $443.25 million. Bristow Group had a net margin of 4.98% and a return on equity of 7.47%. Equities analysts expect that Bristow Group Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Bristow Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be paid a $0.1250 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Bristow Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.66%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Alternative Asset Manage Solus sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.85, for a total transaction of $687,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 2,861,796 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $131,213,346.60. This trade represents a 0.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Lorin L. Brass sold 3,000 shares of Bristow Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.42, for a total transaction of $127,260.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 14,223 shares in the company, valued at approximately $603,339.66. This represents a 17.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 53,858 shares of company stock worth $2,431,989 over the last three months. 12.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Bristow Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Bristow Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $162,017,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Bristow Group during the second quarter valued at $7,463,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Bristow Group in the second quarter worth approximately $6,290,000. Norwood Investment Partners LP bought a new position in shares of Bristow Group in the third quarter worth about $6,120,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Bristow Group in the 2nd quarter worth $3,015,000. Institutional investors own 93.29% of the company's stock.

Bristow Group Company Profile

Bristow Group, Inc. provides helicopter and other aviation services, primarily supporting offshore energy operations and government customers. Its services include transporting personnel and supplies to offshore installations, as well as search-and-rescue operations and related aviation support. The company serves customers across several regions, including the Americas, Europe, Africa and Australia. Its operations include contracted search-and-rescue services in parts of Europe and the United Kingdom, alongside aviation services for the energy industry.

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