Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Trading Down 5.6% – Should You Sell?

Green Plains, Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE) was down 5.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $14.91 and last traded at $15.01. Approximately 797,274 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 49% from the average daily volume of 1,556,063 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.90.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GPRE has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $20.00 price target on shares of Green Plains in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Green Plains from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen raised Green Plains from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Green Plains from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Stephens upped their price objective on Green Plains from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $14.29.

Green Plains Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The stock has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -45.59 and a beta of 1.19. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $16.25 and its 200-day moving average is $13.48.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.43. The company had revenue of $445.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $532.53 million. Green Plains had a negative net margin of 0.80% and a positive return on equity of 2.86%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 25.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted ($1.14) earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Green Plains, Inc. will post 2.1 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPRE. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Green Plains in the second quarter worth about $61,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Green Plains in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $67,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Green Plains in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $95,000. Marex Group plc bought a new stake in Green Plains during the 4th quarter worth approximately $98,000. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Green Plains during the 4th quarter worth approximately $98,000.

About Green Plains

Green Plains Inc is a leading producer of fuel-grade ethanol and related co-products in the United States. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the company operates an integrated network of biorefineries that convert corn and other grains into renewable fuels. Through its production facilities, Green Plains supplies ethanol to domestic fuel markets and export channels, supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote cleaner-burning transportation options.

Beyond ethanol, Green Plains manufactures a range of co-products that add value throughout the agricultural supply chain.