XPEL (NASDAQ:XPEL) Shares Gap Up - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• XPEL shares gapped higher, opening at $47.00 versus a prior close of $44.75 and last trading near $46.01. The company has a $1.26 billion market capitalization and trades at a P/E ratio of 23.21.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive, with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a $65 price target. B. Riley raised its target to $65 and Freedom Capital upgraded the stock to “strong buy,” although Weiss Ratings downgraded it to “hold.”
• XPEL reported quarterly results above expectations, posting $0.68 in EPS versus $0.60 expected and $143.05 million in revenue, up 14.7% year over year. Institutional investors own 75.08% of the company, with several hedge funds increasing their positions.

XPEL, Inc. (NASDAQ:XPEL - Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $44.75, but opened at $47.00. XPEL shares last traded at $46.01, with a volume of 4,456 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. B. Riley Financial boosted their price objective on XPEL from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered XPEL from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of XPEL from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $65.00.

XPEL Stock Up 0.5%

The company has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.21 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $47.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.44.

XPEL (NASDAQ:XPEL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.08. XPEL had a return on equity of 18.98% and a net margin of 10.77%.The business had revenue of $143.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $135.09 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.59 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 14.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that XPEL, Inc. will post 2.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of XPEL

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in XPEL. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its stake in XPEL by 206.8% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 57,976 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,876,000 after acquiring an additional 39,080 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new stake in shares of XPEL in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,040,000. Vancity Investment Management Ltd increased its position in shares of XPEL by 13.4% in the 2nd quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd now owns 18,649 shares of the company's stock worth $925,000 after purchasing an additional 2,210 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its stake in shares of XPEL by 12.9% in the 2nd quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG now owns 41,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,052,000 after purchasing an additional 4,728 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grandeur Peak Global Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of XPEL by 366.0% in the 2nd quarter. Grandeur Peak Global Advisors LLC now owns 37,822 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,876,000 after purchasing an additional 29,705 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.08% of the company's stock.

XPEL Company Profile

XPEL, Inc develops, manufactures and distributes protective films and coatings for automotive, marine, residential, commercial and industrial applications. The company is best known for paint protection film, which is designed to help protect vehicle surfaces from rock chips, scratches and other environmental damage.

Its product portfolio also includes automotive and architectural window films, surface-protection products, ceramic coatings and installation-related solutions. XPEL sells its products through a network of authorized dealers and installers, while its software and digital tools support product visualization, pattern selection and installation workflows.

Founded in 1997, XPEL is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, and serves customers in the United States and international markets through its distribution and installer network.

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