Weiss Ratings Reiterates "Sell (E+)" Rating for American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD)

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings has reiterated a "Sell (E+)" rating for American Vanguard (NYSE: AVD), indicating ongoing concerns about the company's stock performance.
• Despite Weiss Ratings' negative outlook, Wall Street Zen upgraded American Vanguard from a "hold" to a "buy" rating earlier this month.
• American Vanguard's stock traded up 1.8% on Wednesday, reaching a price of $5.17, with a market cap of $146.98 million and a consensus rating of "Hold" from analysts.

American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "sell (e+)" rating reissued by equities researchers at Weiss Ratings in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded American Vanguard from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $12.00.

American Vanguard Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of American Vanguard stock traded up $0.09 on Wednesday, reaching $5.17. The company had a trading volume of 118,849 shares, compared to its average volume of 225,022. The firm has a market cap of $146.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.16 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.91 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $5.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $4.48. American Vanguard has a 1 year low of $3.28 and a 1 year high of $6.68.

American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.11) by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $129.31 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $130.00 million. American Vanguard had a negative return on equity of 26.21% and a negative net margin of 23.72%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Vanguard

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its position in American Vanguard by 13.6% during the 1st quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 25,000 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $110,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its position in American Vanguard by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 98,358 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $386,000 after buying an additional 3,640 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in American Vanguard by 46.8% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 13,838 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 4,413 shares in the last quarter. Williams & Novak LLC increased its position in American Vanguard by 40.6% during the 2nd quarter. Williams & Novak LLC now owns 15,605 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 4,505 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC increased its position in American Vanguard by 46.5% during the 1st quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 17,154 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 5,448 shares in the last quarter. 79.00% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About American Vanguard

American Vanguard Corporation, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets specialty chemicals for agricultural, commercial, and consumer uses in the United States and internationally. It manufactures and formulates chemicals, including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, soil health, plant nutrition, molluscicides, growth regulators, soil fumigants, and biorationals in liquid, powder, and granular forms for crops, turf and ornamental plants, and human and animal health protection.

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