OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE:OUT) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE:OUT) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $34.00.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on OUT shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on OUTFRONT Media from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of OUTFRONT Media from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $38.00 price objective on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $37.00 target price on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 target price (up from $38.00) on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a research note on Thursday, August 6th.

OUTFRONT Media Stock Performance

Shares of OUT opened at $29.70 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.50. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $29.86. OUTFRONT Media has a 12 month low of $16.97 and a 12 month high of $34.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.37 and a beta of 1.49.

OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $522.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $509.61 million. OUTFRONT Media had a return on equity of 37.44% and a net margin of 12.66%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.51 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that OUTFRONT Media will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.

OUTFRONT Media Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. This is an increase from OUTFRONT Media’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. OUTFRONT Media’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 86.33%.

Insider Transactions at OUTFRONT Media

In other news, EVP James Michael Norton bought 4,130 shares of OUTFRONT Media stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $30.81 per share, for a total transaction of $127,245.30. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 4,130 shares in the company, valued at approximately $127,245.30. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard H. Sauer sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.08, for a total value of $160,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 56,947 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,826,859.76. The trade was a 8.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 20,000 shares of company stock worth $629,600 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On OUTFRONT Media

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Burney Co. acquired a new position in shares of OUTFRONT Media during the fourth quarter valued at about $735,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of OUTFRONT Media by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,211,619 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $58,603,000 after acquiring an additional 133,960 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of OUTFRONT Media by 116.6% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 269,557 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,496,000 after acquiring an additional 145,115 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in OUTFRONT Media by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,654,899 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $545,983,000 after acquiring an additional 1,131,954 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC boosted its stake in OUTFRONT Media by 30.3% during the 4th quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 333,440 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,036,000 after purchasing an additional 77,545 shares during the last quarter.

About OUTFRONT Media

OUTFRONT Media Inc is a leading out-of-home (OOH) advertising company offering a broad range of billboard, transit and digital display solutions across major urban markets in the United States and Canada. Its portfolio encompasses traditional static billboards, high-resolution digital signage, transit media on buses, trains and taxis, as well as street furniture placements such as bus shelters, kiosks and urban panels. The company partners with brand marketers to deliver high-impact campaigns that engage consumers outside the home environment.

Through an extensive network of assets in key metropolitan areas, OUTFRONT provides advertisers with premium visibility along highways, city streets and transit corridors.