Stratasys (NASDAQ:SSYS) Shares Gap Up - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Stratasys shares gapped up from a previous close of $10.98 to an opening price of $11.40 but last traded at $11.03 with a volume of 54,000 shares.
• Wall Street Zen upgraded Stratasys from a "hold" to a "buy" rating, resulting in an average price target of $12.20 against a current rating of "Moderate Buy."
• The company reported earnings of $0.04 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding estimates and indicating a 5.6% year-over-year revenue decline.
• Institutional ownership stands at 75.77%, with several large investors increasing their stakes in Stratasys in recent quarters.

Shares of Stratasys, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS - Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $10.98, but opened at $11.40. Stratasys shares last traded at $11.03, with a volume of 54,000 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded Stratasys from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Stratasys presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $12.20.

Stratasys Stock Down 0.6%

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $10.89 and a 200 day moving average of $10.35. The stock has a market cap of $927.20 million, a PE ratio of -7.27 and a beta of 1.53.

Stratasys (NASDAQ:SSYS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The technology company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $136.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $134.11 million. Stratasys had a negative return on equity of 1.86% and a negative net margin of 19.02%. Stratasys's revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.02) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Stratasys, Ltd. will post -0.4 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Formidable Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Stratasys by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC now owns 24,545 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $218,000 after acquiring an additional 965 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of Stratasys by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 16,664 shares of the technology company's stock worth $148,000 after buying an additional 1,564 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in shares of Stratasys by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 53,023 shares of the technology company's stock worth $608,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Stratasys by 28.0% during the 2nd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 13,670 shares of the technology company's stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 2,991 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in shares of Stratasys by 12.1% during the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 28,371 shares of the technology company's stock worth $252,000 after buying an additional 3,071 shares during the period. 75.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stratasys Company Profile

Stratasys Ltd. provides connected polymer-based 3D printing solutions. It offers range of 3D printing systems, which includes polyjet printer, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers, stereolithography printing systems, origin P3 printers, and selective absorption fusion printer for additive manufacturing, and tooling and rapid prototyping for various vertical markets, such as automotive, aerospace, consumer products and healthcare.

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