Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Hold

Zacks Research lowered shares of Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Pampa Energia from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Pampa Energia in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Pampa Energia from $97.50 to $101.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pampa Energia presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $103.83.

Pampa Energia Stock Performance

Shares of PAM stock opened at $85.20 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $83.68 and a 200-day moving average price of $83.19. Pampa Energia has a 52 week low of $54.95 and a 52 week high of $94.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.58 billion, a PE ratio of 10.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.97.

Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The utilities provider reported $4.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Pampa Energia had a net margin of 20.31% and a return on equity of 12.23%. The company had revenue of $573.00 million for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Pampa Energia will post 10.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Pampa Energia

In related news, VP Gustavo Mariani purchased 25,000 shares of Pampa Energia stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $81.40 per share, for a total transaction of $2,035,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 1,566,184 shares in the company, valued at $127,487,377.60. This represents a 1.62% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Damian Miguel Mindlin sold 555,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.55, for a total value of $1,970,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 12,541,870 shares in the company, valued at $44,523,638.50. This trade represents a 4.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have purchased 1,710,694 shares of company stock worth $7,701,005 and have sold 7,157,000 shares worth $24,696,070. 55.52% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pampa Energia

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Pampa Energia during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. NFJ Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pampa Energia in the fourth quarter worth $104,000. Van ECK Associates Corp bought a new stake in shares of Pampa Energia during the 3rd quarter valued at $139,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pampa Energia during the 4th quarter valued at $212,000. Finally, DGS Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pampa Energia during the 4th quarter valued at $234,000. 12.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Pampa Energia

Pampa Energía SA is Argentina’s largest independent energy company, with integrated operations spanning electricity generation, transmission, distribution and oil and gas activities. The company holds a diversified portfolio of thermal and hydroelectric power plants, along with growing investments in renewable energy projects, serving both domestic and regional markets.

In its electricity business, Pampa Energía develops and operates plants that supply energy to Argentina’s power grid.