PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Buy Rating

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday morning.

PriceSmart Price Performance

PSMT stock traded down $0.73 during trading on Friday, hitting $106.15. The stock had a trading volume of 131,813 shares, compared to its average volume of 192,991. The stock has a market cap of $3.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.38 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 1.26. The company's 50 day moving average price is $98.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $92.99. PriceSmart has a 1-year low of $77.51 and a 1-year high of $109.19.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 9th. The company reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.34 billion. PriceSmart had a return on equity of 12.29% and a net margin of 2.76%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.31 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that PriceSmart will post 5.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Jeffrey Fisher sold 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.21, for a total transaction of $306,630.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 13,011 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,329,854.31. This represents a 18.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Paul Kovaleski sold 896 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.85, for a total value of $90,361.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 43,039 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,340,483.15. This represents a 2.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 9,836 shares of company stock valued at $1,005,273 in the last quarter. 17.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PriceSmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in PriceSmart by 560.0% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 297 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 252 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its stake in PriceSmart by 536.7% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 312 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 263 shares during the period. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PriceSmart in the first quarter worth $42,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of PriceSmart in the first quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of PriceSmart in the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. 80.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About PriceSmart

PriceSmart, Inc owns and operates U.S.-style membership shopping warehouse clubs in the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and Colombia. The company provides basic and private label consumer products under the Member's Selection brand, including groceries, cleaning supplies, health and beauty aids, meat, produce, deli, seafood, and poultry.