Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ) Hits New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Utz Brands reached a new 52-week high of $14.36, with the stock trading near $14.32 and its market capitalization reaching approximately $2.06 billion.
• Analyst sentiment is mostly cautious: nine analysts rate the stock “Hold,” one rates it “Buy,” and one rates it “Sell.” The average price target is $13.39, below the current share price.
• The company slightly exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $0.19 versus $0.18 anticipated, while revenue rose 1.4% year over year to $371.8 million. Utz also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.063 per share, representing an annualized yield of about 1.8%.

Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE:UTZ - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday. The stock traded as high as $14.36 and last traded at $14.3150, with a volume of 239,375 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.31.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on UTZ shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Utz Brands from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Utz Brands from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $14.25 price target for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. DA Davidson restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $14.25 price objective (down from $15.00) on shares of Utz Brands in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $14.25 target price on shares of Utz Brands in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Barclays downgraded shares of Utz Brands from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $14.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $13.39.

Utz Brands Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $14.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a PE ratio of -43.38 and a beta of 0.72.

Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $371.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $374.18 million. Utz Brands had a negative net margin of 2.00% and a positive return on equity of 8.97%. The firm's revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.17 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Utz Brands, Inc. will post 0.80 earnings per share for the current year.

Utz Brands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were given a dividend of $0.0630 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Utz Brands's payout ratio is -75.76%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UTZ. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Utz Brands by 318.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,783 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 2,879 shares in the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its holdings in Utz Brands by 127.9% in the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 117,107 shares of the company's stock worth $902,000 after purchasing an additional 65,712 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP boosted its stake in Utz Brands by 61.0% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 356,997 shares of the company's stock worth $2,749,000 after purchasing an additional 135,239 shares during the period. AXQ Capital LP purchased a new stake in Utz Brands during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $80,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Utz Brands during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,068,000. Institutional investors own 95.97% of the company's stock.

Utz Brands Company Profile

Utz Brands, Inc is a U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of branded snack foods. The company produces and markets potato chips, tortilla chips, cheese snacks, pretzels, popcorn, pork snacks, and other salty snacks through a portfolio of brands that includes Utz, Zapp's, Boulder Canyon, Golden Flake, Bachman, and Tim's Cascade Snacks.

Utz products are sold through grocery stores, mass merchants, club stores, convenience stores, drugstores, and e-commerce channels. The company serves consumers primarily in the United States and distributes its snacks through a combination of direct-store delivery, warehouse distribution, and third-party arrangements.

Founded in 1921 by William and Salie Utz in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the company has expanded through organic growth and acquisitions of established regional snack businesses.

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