NPK International (NYSE:NPKI) Sets New 1-Year High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

NPK International Inc. (NYSE:NPKI) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $15.73 and last traded at $15.5490, with a volume of 154540 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.30.

The company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $75.19 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $69.02 million. NPK International had a net margin of 12.74% and a return on equity of 9.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NPKI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut NPK International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of NPK International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, HC Wainwright raised their target price on NPK International from $12.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.17.

Insider Activity at NPK International

In other news, Director Michael A. Lewis sold 2,013 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.31, for a total transaction of $28,806.03. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 131,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,879,375.23. This represents a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 4.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of NPK International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NPKI. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its stake in NPK International by 4.0% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 22,706 shares of the company’s stock valued at $257,000 after buying an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of NPK International by 28.1% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,917 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 1,079 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its holdings in shares of NPK International by 6.5% during the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 24,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,000 after acquiring an additional 1,478 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of NPK International by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 45,353 shares of the company’s stock valued at $541,000 after acquiring an additional 1,489 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of NPK International by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 14,970 shares of the company’s stock valued at $178,000 after acquiring an additional 1,542 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

NPK International Stock Up 7.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.20. The stock has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.29 and a beta of 1.29. The business’s 50 day moving average is $13.42 and its 200 day moving average is $12.19.

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.