Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) Trading Up 6.6% - Still a Buy?

Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN - Get Free Report) shares traded up 6.6% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $72.30 and last traded at $72.27. 471,877 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 208% from the average session volume of 153,211 shares. The stock had previously closed at $67.82.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WLDN has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Willdan Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Wedbush upgraded Willdan Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th.

Willdan Group Stock Up 8.7%

The company has a current ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $52.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $42.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.62 and a beta of 1.25.

Insider Activity at Willdan Group

In other Willdan Group news, VP Micah Chen sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.20, for a total transaction of $482,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 38,502 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,855,796.40. This represents a 20.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Michael A. Bieber sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.11, for a total value of $1,202,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 200,981 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,669,195.91. The trade was a 11.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 100,000 shares of company stock worth $4,994,075 over the last ninety days. 8.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willdan Group

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Willdan Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in Willdan Group by 470.2% during the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,682 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 1,387 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC purchased a new position in shares of Willdan Group in the 1st quarter worth $75,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Willdan Group by 1,809.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,158 shares of the construction company's stock worth $88,000 after buying an additional 2,045 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in shares of Willdan Group by 26.4% in the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,597 shares of the construction company's stock worth $99,000 after buying an additional 542 shares during the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Willdan Group Company Profile

Willdan Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional, technical, and consulting services primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Energy, and Engineering and Consulting. The Energy segment offers comprehensive audit and surveys, program design and implementation, master planning, demand reduction, grid optimization, benchmarking analyses, design engineering, construction management, performance contracting, installation, alternative financing, measurement and verification services, and software and data analytics, as well as energy consulting and engineering, turnkey facility and infrastructure projects, and customer support services.