NPK International (NYSE:NPKI) Hits New 52-Week Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• NPK International shares fell 3.2% to a new 52-week low of $10.95, below both their 50-day moving average of $12.83 and 200-day moving average of $14.08.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a target price of $18.00; the company also exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $0.15 versus $0.13 forecast.
• Insiders sold 15,004 shares worth approximately $203,715 during the last quarter, while institutional investors and hedge funds own a substantial 80.81% of the company.

NPK International Inc. (NYSE:NPKI - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $10.95 and last traded at $10.9610, with a volume of 100,069 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $11.29.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of NPK International in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $18.00.

NPK International Trading Down 3.2%

The stock has a market capitalization of $927.64 million, a PE ratio of 21.83 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business's 50-day moving average is $12.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.08.

NPK International (NYSE:NPKI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.02. NPK International had a net margin of 14.19% and a return on equity of 11.31%. The company had revenue of $81.58 million during the quarter. On average, analysts anticipate that NPK International Inc. will post 0.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other NPK International news, CAO Matthew James Warren sold 2,991 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.41, for a total value of $40,109.31. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 51,439 shares in the company, valued at approximately $689,796.99. The trade was a 5.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Michael A. Lewis sold 2,013 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.26, for a total value of $28,705.38. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 135,865 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,937,434.90. The trade was a 1.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 15,004 shares of company stock worth $203,715 in the last quarter. 4.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NPK International

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Electron Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in NPK International during the 1st quarter worth $15,938,000. Tieton Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NPK International in the 2nd quarter worth $13,060,000. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of NPK International by 30.8% in the 1st quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,899,021 shares of the company's stock worth $42,007,000 after acquiring an additional 683,116 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NPK International in the second quarter valued at about $10,799,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of NPK International by 198.7% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 790,335 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,574,000 after acquiring an additional 525,718 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About NPK International

NPK International Inc provides products, rentals, and services primarily to the oil and natural gas exploration and production (E&P) industry. It operates through two segments, Fluids Systems and Industrial Solutions. The Fluids Systems segment provides drilling, completion, and stimulation fluids products and related technical services to customers primarily in the North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as other countries in the Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Industrial Solutions segment offers composite matting system rentals utilized for temporary worksite access; related site construction and services to customers in various markets, including power transmission, E&P, pipeline, renewable energy, petrochemical, construction, and other industries primarily in the United States and Europe; recyclable composite mats to customers worldwide; and access road construction, site planning and preparation, environmental protection, erosion control, and site restoration services.

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