NPK International (NYSE:NPKI) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

NPK International Inc. (NYSE:NPKI)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $14.69 and last traded at $14.31, with a volume of 19813 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.23.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on NPKI shares. HC Wainwright upped their price objective on NPK International from $12.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of NPK International in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut NPK International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.17.

NPK International Price Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $13.06 and a 200-day moving average of $11.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.20, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The stock has a market cap of $1.23 billion, a PE ratio of 38.24 and a beta of 1.29.

Institutional Trading of NPK International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in NPK International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $51,903,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of NPK International by 0.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,750,263 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,725,000 after acquiring an additional 19,663 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of NPK International in the second quarter valued at $25,341,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in NPK International by 13.1% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,971,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,603,000 after purchasing an additional 344,658 shares during the period. Finally, Conversant Capital LLC acquired a new position in NPK International during the 2nd quarter worth $23,103,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

NPK International Company Profile

NPK International, Inc (NYSE: NPKI) is a specialty chemical distributor supplying a broad range of industrial and performance materials across diverse end-markets. Its product portfolio includes acetic acid and derivatives, alcohols, ketones, esters, glycol ethers, glycols, specialty solvents, select inorganic chemicals and crop-protection intermediates. These materials serve industries such as coatings, adhesives and sealants, oil and gas, personal care, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and water treatment.

The company places a strong emphasis on supply-chain security and technical service, maintaining warehousing, logistics support and laboratory capabilities at its regional distribution centers.