Renaissance Technologies LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. $RGR

Renaissance Technologies LLC reduced its position in shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) by 2.6% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 710,176 shares of the company’s stock after selling 19,100 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC’s holdings in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. were worth $28,471,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in RGR. JRM Investment Counsel LLC bought a new position in shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in the 1st quarter worth approximately $15,916,000. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $9,486,000. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,011,000. UBS Group AG grew its position in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 31.1% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 514,510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,366,000 after buying an additional 122,111 shares during the period. Finally, HRT Financial LP purchased a new stake in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,805,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.00% of the company’s stock.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Stock Down 1.6%

RGR stock opened at $38.30 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $38.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.07. The stock has a market cap of $610.70 million, a P/E ratio of -52.47 and a beta of 0.17. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has a twelve month low of $28.33 and a twelve month high of $48.21.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.07). Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. had a positive return on equity of 5.96% and a negative net margin of 2.18%.The firm had revenue of $141.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $137.26 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.46 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. will post 1.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th were given a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 14th. This is an increase from Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -60.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RGR has been the topic of several recent research reports. Lake Street Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $46.00 price target on shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Zacks Research raised shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.00.

Insider Transactions at Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

In other news, Director Bruce T. Pettet acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.89 per share, for a total transaction of $39,890.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $303,403.34. This trade represents a 15.14% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Phillip Widman bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $38.00 per share, for a total transaction of $190,000.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 45,208 shares in the company, valued at $1,717,904. This represents a 12.44% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders bought a total of 7,500 shares of company stock valued at $288,615 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 4.60% of the company’s stock.

About Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc, founded in 1949 by William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm, is a leading American designer and manufacturer of firearms. Headquartered in Newport, New Hampshire, the company has established a reputation for precision engineering and durable products. Its manufacturing footprint includes facilities in Newport and Mayodan, North Carolina, where it maintains a vertically integrated production model spanning metallurgy, machining, and assembly.

The company’s product portfolio encompasses a broad range of small arms, including centerfire and rimfire rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, and accessories.