National Research (NASDAQ:NRC) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• National Research shares rose above their 200-day moving average, reaching $21.61 and last trading at $21.19, compared with the $18.89 average.
• Analyst views are mixed but lean positive: the stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $26 price target, despite recent downgrades to “Hold.”
• The company exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.31 in EPS and $35.39 million in revenue, while declaring a $0.16 quarterly dividend yielding about 3%; however, its 256% payout ratio is notably high.

National Research Corporation (NASDAQ:NRC - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $18.89 and traded as high as $21.61. National Research shares last traded at $21.19, with a volume of 144,667 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NRC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded National Research from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of National Research from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Citizens Jmp boosted their target price on shares of National Research from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, National Research currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $26.00.

National Research Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $482.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 84.76 and a beta of 0.35. The company's 50 day moving average is $21.28 and its 200-day moving average is $18.89. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.13.

National Research (NASDAQ:NRC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.15) by $0.46. The business had revenue of $35.39 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.90 million. National Research had a return on equity of 164.26% and a net margin of 4.18%.

National Research Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 25th. National Research's payout ratio is currently 256.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Research

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in National Research during the 1st quarter valued at $118,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of National Research by 168.6% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 108,134 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,384,000 after purchasing an additional 67,882 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in shares of National Research by 394.2% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 52,411 shares of the company's stock valued at $671,000 after purchasing an additional 41,806 shares during the period. Strs Ohio bought a new position in shares of National Research in the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, M&T Bank Corp lifted its stake in shares of National Research by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 13,608 shares of the company's stock worth $229,000 after buying an additional 823 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 47.26% of the company's stock.

About National Research

National Research Corp NASDAQ: NRC, also known as NRC Health, is a healthcare analytics and performance improvement company specializing in patient and employee experience measurement. The company's cloud-based platform enables healthcare providers to collect real-time feedback through patient satisfaction surveys, post-discharge outreach, and employee engagement tools. NRC Health integrates clinical, operational and financial data to deliver actionable insights that support quality improvement initiatives and value-based care programs.

Since its founding in the early 1990s and headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, National Research has expanded beyond its regional roots to serve more than 1,600 hospitals and 12,000 care sites across the United States and Canada.

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