YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF) Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Group Analyst Says

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF) had its price objective upped by equities researchers at UBS Group from $45.00 to $48.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the oil and gas exploration company’s stock. UBS Group’s price target points to a potential downside of 6.91% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on YPF. Zacks Research upgraded YPF Sociedad Anónima from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley upgraded YPF Sociedad Anónima from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded YPF Sociedad Anónima from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered YPF Sociedad Anónima from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.00.

YPF Sociedad Anónima Stock Up 6.1%

NYSE YPF traded up $2.97 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $51.57. 3,185,150 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,123,215. The business’s 50-day moving average is $43.73 and its 200-day moving average is $39.09. YPF Sociedad Anónima has a twelve month low of $22.82 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -49.57 and a beta of 1.21.

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $5.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.04 billion. YPF Sociedad Anónima had a positive return on equity of 1.11% and a negative net margin of 2.16%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that YPF Sociedad Anónima will post 6.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other YPF Sociedad Anónima news, VP Mauricio Alejandro Martin sold 3,430 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.60, for a total value of $149,548.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 14 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $610.40. This trade represents a 99.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Marcelo Gustavo Aldeco sold 12,719 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.61, for a total value of $554,675.59. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 101 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,404.61. This represents a 99.21% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On YPF Sociedad Anónima

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its position in YPF Sociedad Anónima by 488.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,353 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,123 shares during the last quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new position in YPF Sociedad Anónima during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new position in YPF Sociedad Anónima during the 4th quarter worth $59,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in YPF Sociedad Anónima by 58.8% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,034 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 1,123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in YPF Sociedad Anónima by 13.7% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 2,598 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 10.08% of the company’s stock.

About YPF Sociedad Anónima

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE: YPF) is an integrated oil and gas company headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The company’s primary businesses encompass upstream exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, midstream transportation and storage, and downstream refining and distribution. YPF operates several major refineries and a nationwide network of service stations, supplying fuels, lubricants, and petrochemical products to both retail and industrial customers.

Founded in 1922 as Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, YPF was the world’s first state‐owned oil company.