Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Has $185.50 Million Position in PriceSmart, Inc. $PSMT

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP cut its holdings in PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) by 2.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,232,619 shares of the company’s stock after selling 28,041 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in PriceSmart were worth $185,504,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PSMT. Comerica Bank raised its holdings in PriceSmart by 77.2% during the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 33,224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,076,000 after buying an additional 14,475 shares in the last quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of PriceSmart during the 1st quarter worth about $4,165,000. Truist Financial Corp bought a new stake in shares of PriceSmart during the 4th quarter worth about $4,393,000. Aubrey Capital Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of PriceSmart during the 1st quarter worth about $2,002,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in shares of PriceSmart by 5,913.3% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 28,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,362,000 after acquiring an additional 28,502 shares during the last quarter. 80.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PriceSmart Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of PSMT stock opened at $186.24 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.75 and a beta of 0.76. PriceSmart, Inc. has a 1 year low of $104.65 and a 1 year high of $199.84. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $181.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $161.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43 billion. PriceSmart had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 12.16%. PriceSmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share.

Insider Activity at PriceSmart

In other news, Director Gordon H. Hanson sold 635 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.60, for a total transaction of $100,076.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,149 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,284,282.40. This represents a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Beatriz V. Infante sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.98, for a total transaction of $156,784.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,210 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,196,935.80. The trade was a 6.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 4,032 shares of company stock worth $660,982 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 17.00% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded PriceSmart from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

PriceSmart Company Profile

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.