Raymond James & Associates Reduces Holdings in GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF)

Raymond James & Associates decreased its holdings in shares of GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF) by 27.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 97,100 shares of the company’s stock after selling 36,056 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates’ holdings in GrafTech International were worth $213,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of EAF. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC grew its stake in shares of GrafTech International by 12.9% during the third quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 22,971,588 shares of the company’s stock worth $87,981,000 after acquiring an additional 2,618,477 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in GrafTech International by 15.4% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,425,109 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,948,000 after buying an additional 591,574 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in GrafTech International in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,359,000. Clark Estates Inc. NY boosted its position in GrafTech International by 18.5% in the third quarter. Clark Estates Inc. NY now owns 641,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,457,000 after buying an additional 100,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nierenberg Investment Management Company Inc. purchased a new stake in GrafTech International in the third quarter valued at approximately $381,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.83% of the company’s stock.

GrafTech International Trading Up 3.6 %

GrafTech International stock opened at $1.72 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.54, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.90. GrafTech International Ltd. has a 12 month low of $1.18 and a 12 month high of $5.32. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $1.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2.00. The firm has a market cap of $442.32 million, a PE ratio of -1.58 and a beta of 1.14.

GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 26th. The company reported ($0.10) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by $0.08. GrafTech International had a negative return on equity of 52.49% and a negative net margin of 45.08%. The business had revenue of $136.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $125.73 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.02) EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that GrafTech International Ltd. will post -0.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on GrafTech International in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $2.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on GrafTech International from $3.00 to $2.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 16th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on GrafTech International from $2.00 to $1.50 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on GrafTech International from $4.00 to $2.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1.88.

Insider Transactions at GrafTech International

In other GrafTech International news, major shareholder Colonial House Capital Ltd bought 179,279 shares of GrafTech International stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1.48 per share, with a total value of $265,332.92. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 29,714,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,977,983.92. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

GrafTech International Company Profile

GrafTech International Ltd. research, develops, manufactures, and sells graphite and carbon-based solutions worldwide. The company offers graphite electrodes to produce electric arc furnace steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals; and petroleum needle coke, a crystalline form of carbon used in the production of graphite electrodes and synthetic graphite.