Wall Street Zen Upgrades CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) to Strong-Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded CPI Card Group to strong-buy from buy, adding to a generally positive analyst outlook on the stock.
• CPI Card Group recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.38 versus $0.32 expected and revenue of $147.11 million versus $134.69 million forecast.
• Insider activity was mixed: Chairman H. Sanford Riley bought 5,400 shares, while another insider sold 4,870 shares, and institutions collectively own about 22.08% of the company.

CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on PMTS. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of CPI Card Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of CPI Card Group in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Lake Street Capital restated a "buy" rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of CPI Card Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of CPI Card Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of CPI Card Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CPI Card Group presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $27.50.

CPI Card Group Trading Down 3.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:PMTS opened at $17.05 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.89. The firm has a market cap of $195.73 million, a PE ratio of 16.72 and a beta of 1.07. CPI Card Group has a 12-month low of $10.81 and a 12-month high of $25.50.

CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $147.11 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $134.69 million. CPI Card Group had a net margin of 2.15% and a negative return on equity of 92.16%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that CPI Card Group will post 2.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at CPI Card Group

In other CPI Card Group news, Chairman H Sanford Riley bought 5,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $16.00 per share, for a total transaction of $86,400.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman directly owned 5,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $86,400. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Donna Abbey Carmignani sold 4,870 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.32, for a total transaction of $74,608.40. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,478 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $83,922.96. The trade was a 47.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 5.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of CPI Card Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in CPI Card Group by 5.5% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 14,987 shares of the company's stock valued at $355,000 after purchasing an additional 782 shares during the last quarter. Man Group plc increased its stake in CPI Card Group by 8.3% during the third quarter. Man Group plc now owns 13,134 shares of the company's stock valued at $199,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in shares of CPI Card Group by 10.1% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 14,736 shares of the company's stock worth $214,000 after acquiring an additional 1,346 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of CPI Card Group by 100.4% during the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,928 shares of the company's stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 1,467 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of CPI Card Group by 37.0% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 5,949 shares of the company's stock worth $91,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 22.08% of the company's stock.

CPI Card Group Company Profile

CPI Card Group, Inc NASDAQ: PMTS is a leading provider of payment, identification and related credential solutions for financial institutions, governments and private enterprises. The company specializes in the design, manufacturing and personalization of secure plastic and metal cards, including EMV chip, magnetic-stripe and contactless cards. CPI Card Group also offers digital credentialing services and cloud-based card management tools that enable real-time controls, mobile wallet integration, fraud monitoring and analytics.

With a focus on security and innovation, CPI Card Group integrates advanced features such as holograms, microprinting, RFID/NFC technology and laser-engraved artwork into its card products.

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