PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $125.65 and traded as high as $155.56. PriceSmart shares last traded at $155.22, with a volume of 177,926 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PSMT has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut PriceSmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered PriceSmart from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

PriceSmart Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $4.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.68 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The company has a fifty day moving average of $139.57 and a 200 day moving average of $125.65.

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

PriceSmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. This represents a yield of 89.0%. PriceSmart’s payout ratio is 28.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PriceSmart

In other PriceSmart news, Director Beatriz V. Infante sold 1,995 shares of PriceSmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.87, for a total value of $273,055.65. Following the transaction, the director owned 10,879 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,489,008.73. The trade was a 15.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Paul Kovaleski sold 4,255 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.86, for a total value of $582,339.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 38,854 shares in the company, valued at $5,317,558.44. This represents a 9.87% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 16,671 shares of company stock valued at $2,283,051 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 17.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PriceSmart

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of PSMT. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of PriceSmart by 560.0% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 297 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. acquired a new position in shares of PriceSmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of PriceSmart by 76.0% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 227 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in PriceSmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co acquired a new stake in PriceSmart during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. 80.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.