Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Reaches New 12-Month Low on Analyst Downgrade

Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE)’s share price reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday after Bank of America lowered their price target on the stock from $29.00 to $26.00. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the stock. Green Plains traded as low as $19.27 and last traded at $19.28, with a volume of 2243970 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $19.90.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Green Plains from $33.50 to $31.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 4th. Roth Mkm reduced their price objective on shares of Green Plains from $55.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Green Plains from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Green Plains from $39.00 to $34.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. Finally, Craig Hallum decreased their price target on shares of Green Plains from $37.00 to $34.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $30.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Ejnar A. Knudsen III acquired 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $24.73 per share, for a total transaction of $98,920.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 40,913 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,011,778.49. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Green Plains

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GPRE. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in Green Plains by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 17,200 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $398,000 after buying an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Clifford Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Green Plains in the first quarter valued at about $7,688,000. Swiss National Bank raised its stake in shares of Green Plains by 14.1% during the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 120,400 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $2,784,000 after acquiring an additional 14,900 shares during the last quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Green Plains by 9.0% during the first quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 56,045 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $1,296,000 after purchasing an additional 4,636 shares during the period. Finally, Mutual of America Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Green Plains by 6.3% in the first quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 11,071 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $256,000 after purchasing an additional 655 shares during the last quarter.

Green Plains Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $21.56 and a 200-day moving average of $23.31. The company has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of -15.67 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 3rd. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.81) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.33) by ($0.48). Green Plains had a negative return on equity of 7.86% and a negative net margin of 2.43%. The business had revenue of $597.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $654.40 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($1.20) earnings per share. Green Plains’s quarterly revenue was down 28.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Green Plains Inc. will post 0.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Green Plains Company Profile

Green Plains Inc produces low-carbon fuels in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Ethanol Production, Agribusiness and Energy Services, and Partnership. The Ethanol Production segment produces ethanol, distillers grains, and ultra-high protein and renewable corn oil.