Wall Street Zen Upgrades CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) to “Strong-Buy”

CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on PMTS. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $25.00 target price on shares of CPI Card Group in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Zacks Research cut shares of CPI Card Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of CPI Card Group in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Lake Street Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 price objective on shares of CPI Card Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of CPI Card Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $27.50.

CPI Card Group Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:PMTS opened at $19.52 on Friday. CPI Card Group has a 12-month low of $10.81 and a 12-month high of $21.57. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $18.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.97. The company has a market capitalization of $224.09 million, a PE ratio of 19.14 and a beta of 1.03.

CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $147.11 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $134.69 million. CPI Card Group had a negative return on equity of 92.16% and a net margin of 2.15%. Research analysts predict that CPI Card Group will post 2.52 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Donna Abbey Carmignani sold 4,870 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.32, for a total value of $74,608.40. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,922.96. This represents a 47.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman H Sanford Riley purchased 6,500 shares of CPI Card Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $16.00 per share, with a total value of $104,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 259,938 shares in the company, valued at $4,159,008. The trade was a 2.56% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 5.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CPI Card Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of CPI Card Group by 5.5% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 14,987 shares of the company’s stock worth $355,000 after acquiring an additional 782 shares during the period. Man Group plc lifted its position in CPI Card Group by 8.3% during the third quarter. Man Group plc now owns 13,134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $199,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in CPI Card Group by 10.1% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 14,736 shares of the company’s stock valued at $214,000 after purchasing an additional 1,346 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in CPI Card Group by 100.4% in the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,928 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 1,467 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in CPI Card Group by 37.0% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 5,949 shares of the company’s stock worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607 shares during the period. 22.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CPI Card Group Company Profile

CPI Card Group, Inc (NASDAQ: PMTS) is a leading provider of payment, identification and related credential solutions for financial institutions, governments and private enterprises. The company specializes in the design, manufacturing and personalization of secure plastic and metal cards, including EMV chip, magnetic-stripe and contactless cards. CPI Card Group also offers digital credentialing services and cloud-based card management tools that enable real-time controls, mobile wallet integration, fraud monitoring and analytics.

With a focus on security and innovation, CPI Card Group integrates advanced features such as holograms, microprinting, RFID/NFC technology and laser-engraved artwork into its card products.