Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) Shares Up 7.5% – Still a Buy?

Central Puerto S.A. Sponsored ADR (NYSE:CEPU) shares shot up 7.5% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $17.56 and last traded at $17.4730. 169,949 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 51% from the average session volume of 345,727 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.25.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on CEPU shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Central Puerto from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Central Puerto in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. They set a “buy” rating and a $17.50 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Central Puerto in a research note on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Central Puerto has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $17.50.

Central Puerto Trading Up 8.7%

The company has a market cap of $2.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.94 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $13.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.93.

Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter. Central Puerto had a net margin of 28.24% and a return on equity of 15.01%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Central Puerto S.A. Sponsored ADR will post 0.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Central Puerto

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Central Puerto by 14.8% during the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,782,883 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,504,000 after acquiring an additional 359,121 shares during the period. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. bought a new stake in Central Puerto in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,996,000. Fourth Sail Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Central Puerto during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,736,000. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Puerto during the second quarter worth approximately $1,149,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Puerto during the first quarter worth approximately $688,000. 2.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Central Puerto

Central Puerto SA engages in the electric power generation in Argentina. It operates through three segments: Electric Power Generation from Conventional Sources, Electric Power Generation from Renewable Sources, and Natural Gas Transport and Distribution. The company generates energy through thermal, hydroelectric, and wind farms.