National Beverage Corp. $FIZZ Shares Purchased by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:FIZZ) by 56.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 63,624 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 23,071 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in National Beverage were worth $2,029,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. RK Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of National Beverage by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. RK Asset Management LLC now owns 195,868 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,246,000 after purchasing an additional 6,085 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of National Beverage by 44.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 139,302 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,143,000 after purchasing an additional 42,970 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Beverage during the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its stake in National Beverage by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 56,820 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,098,000 after buying an additional 2,972 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PharVision Advisers LLC purchased a new position in National Beverage in the 3rd quarter valued at about $217,000. 23.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on FIZZ shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of National Beverage in a report on Friday. UBS Group raised their target price on National Beverage from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Sell” and a consensus target price of $35.00.

National Beverage Stock Up 1.6%

National Beverage stock opened at $33.80 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $35.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.82 and a beta of 0.75. National Beverage Corp. has a 52-week low of $31.21 and a 52-week high of $47.89.

National Beverage (NASDAQ:FIZZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.44. The firm had revenue of $264.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $271.06 million. National Beverage had a net margin of 15.71% and a return on equity of 36.00%.

About National Beverage

National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: FIZZ) is a U.S.-based beverage company specializing in the development, marketing and production of nonalcoholic refreshment products. The company’s portfolio includes a range of sparkling waters, soft drinks and energy beverages designed for a variety of consumer tastes and dietary preferences. Through in-house bottling operations and strategic partnerships with co-packers, National Beverage manages production from flavor formulation to final packaging and distribution.

Founded in 1985, National Beverage has broadened its product lineup over the decades through both organic brand introductions and selective acquisitions.