Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

by · The Cerbat Gem

Shares of Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST – Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $126.50.

Several brokerages have recently commented on POST. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Post from $125.00 to $113.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen cut Post from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Post from $115.00 to $108.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on Post from $131.00 to $129.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Post from $131.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Post

Post Stock Performance

NYSE POST opened at $102.94 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $105.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $107.61. The company has a current ratio of 2.60, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83. The stock has a market cap of $5.37 billion, a PE ratio of 17.51 and a beta of 0.49. Post has a twelve month low of $96.34 and a twelve month high of $125.84.

Post (NYSE:POST – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $2.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.25 billion. Post had a net margin of 4.62% and a return on equity of 10.80%. Post’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.53 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Post will post 6.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Post announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Friday, August 29th that allows the company to buyback $0.00 in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Post

In other Post news, Director David W. Kemper acquired 1,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $97.93 per share, for a total transaction of $176,274.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 31,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,086,949.46. This trade represents a 6.06% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 11.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Post

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Post in the second quarter worth $136,310,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its holdings in Post by 35.0% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,313,852 shares of the company’s stock valued at $143,249,000 after purchasing an additional 340,599 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in Post during the 1st quarter worth $34,528,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Post by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,418,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $630,448,000 after purchasing an additional 277,786 shares during the period. Finally, Epoch Investment Partners Inc. raised its position in Post by 26.4% in the 1st quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 915,487 shares of the company’s stock valued at $106,526,000 after purchasing an additional 191,081 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.85% of the company’s stock.

Post Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Post Holdings, Inc operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals under Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Malt-O-Meal brand names; hot cereal; peanut butter under the Peter Pan brand; and branded and private label dog and cat food products under Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits and Gravy Train brand names.

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