Post (NYSE:POST) Sets New 12-Month High Following Strong Earnings

Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $108.17 and last traded at $103.55, with a volume of 168838 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $104.90.

The company reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.03 billion. Post had a return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 4.38%. The company’s revenue was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.10 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on POST. Mizuho raised their target price on Post from $110.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Post from $98.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Post from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Post has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $109.67.

Insider Transactions at Post

In other Post news, CEO Nicolas Catoggio sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.11, for a total transaction of $31,233.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 74,992 shares in the company, valued at $7,807,417.12. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, Director Thomas C. Erb acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $104.24 per share, with a total value of $104,240.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 33,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,489,434. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Nicolas Catoggio sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.11, for a total value of $31,233.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 74,992 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,807,417.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Post

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Post in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. TFO Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Post by 9,966.7% in the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,000 after acquiring an additional 299 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Post during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Post by 487.0% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 317 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Post by 56.8% in the first quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 359 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. 94.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Post Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $6.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.67 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60. The company’s 50-day moving average is $104.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $95.23.

About Post

Post Holdings, Inc operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals under Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Malt-O-Meal brand names; hot cereal; peanut butter under the Peter Pan brand; and branded and private label dog and cat food products under Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits and Gravy Train brand names.