National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the six research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $5.3750.

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Wedbush decreased their price target on shares of National CineMedia from $6.50 to $6.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of National CineMedia from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of National CineMedia from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th.

National CineMedia Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of NCMI stock opened at $3.58 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 1.82. National CineMedia has a 52-week low of $2.78 and a 52-week high of $5.17. The company has a market capitalization of $335.73 million, a PE ratio of -39.77 and a beta of 1.40. The business’s fifty day moving average is $3.40 and its 200 day moving average is $3.52.

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 12th. The business services provider reported ($0.23) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $32.92 million. National CineMedia had a negative net margin of 3.47% and a negative return on equity of 1.80%.

National CineMedia Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. National CineMedia’s payout ratio is currently -133.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Maria Vg Woods sold 12,066 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.04, for a total transaction of $36,680.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 143,097 shares in the company, valued at $435,014.88. This trade represents a 7.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of National CineMedia

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NCMI. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of National CineMedia by 59.8% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 488,025 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,850,000 after buying an additional 182,548 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in National CineMedia during the 1st quarter valued at $255,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in National CineMedia by 21.3% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 683,614 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,992,000 after acquiring an additional 120,079 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in National CineMedia by 511.8% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 93,061 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $543,000 after acquiring an additional 77,849 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of National CineMedia in the first quarter valued at about $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.49% of the company’s stock.

About National CineMedia

National CineMedia, Inc is a leading U.S. out-of-home media company specializing in cinema advertising. The firm operates a proprietary network that delivers high-impact advertising content to moviegoers across a broad footprint of theaters, offering brands a targeted and immersive way to engage audiences in a captive, distraction-free environment.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, National CineMedia began as a joint venture among several major exhibition chains.