Insider Selling: PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) COO Sells $1,015,786.48 in Stock

PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) COO John Hildebrandt sold 7,421 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.88, for a total value of $1,015,786.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 108,194 shares in the company, valued at $14,809,594.72. This trade represents a 6.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

PriceSmart Trading Up 0.0%

PriceSmart stock opened at $140.86 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $125.23 and its 200 day moving average is $117.63. PriceSmart, Inc. has a one year low of $81.25 and a one year high of $143.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.34 billion, a PE ratio of 28.75 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. PriceSmart had a net margin of 2.79% and a return on equity of 12.20%. The company had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.36 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.21 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that PriceSmart, Inc. will post 5.28 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on PSMT. Wall Street Zen cut PriceSmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded PriceSmart from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Institutional Trading of PriceSmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of PriceSmart by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,004 shares of the company’s stock valued at $607,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in PriceSmart by 10.9% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 946 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lifted its holdings in PriceSmart by 1.8% during the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 5,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $588,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of PriceSmart by 13.0% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 888 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of PriceSmart by 20.4% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 601 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.46% of the company’s stock.

About PriceSmart

PriceSmart, Inc (NASDAQ: PSMT) is a U.S.-based retailer specializing in membership warehouse clubs. Founded in 1993, the company operates under a business model that offers bulk quantities of goods at discounted prices to individuals and businesses that purchase annual memberships. PriceSmart’s value proposition centers on low-cost operations, high-volume purchasing, and a no-frills shopping environment designed to pass savings directly to its members.

The company’s product assortment covers a broad range of merchandise categories, including groceries and fresh produce, household essentials, electronics, appliances, office supplies, furniture, and health and beauty items.