GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF) Trading Up 1.3% – Time to Buy?

GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF)’s share price was up 1.3% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $18.33 and last traded at $17.8560. Approximately 217,148 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 30% from the average daily volume of 167,188 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.63.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on EAF. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of GrafTech International in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen raised GrafTech International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of GrafTech International from $10.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $14.25.

GrafTech International Stock Up 1.3%

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $15.53 and a 200 day moving average of $13.71. The firm has a market cap of $461.04 million, a PE ratio of -2.26 and a beta of 1.64.

GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 24th. The company reported ($1.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.22) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $144.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $139.58 million. On average, research analysts anticipate that GrafTech International Ltd. will post -0.57 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of GrafTech International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Yacktman Asset Management LP raised its holdings in GrafTech International by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Yacktman Asset Management LP now owns 10,826,186 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,530,000 after acquiring an additional 127,490 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of GrafTech International by 57.2% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,131,013 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,936,000 after purchasing an additional 2,594,562 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in GrafTech International by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,673,093 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,518,000 after purchasing an additional 546,177 shares in the last quarter. Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C. boosted its stake in GrafTech International by 92.3% in the 2nd quarter. Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C. now owns 3,151,686 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,065,000 after purchasing an additional 1,512,436 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in GrafTech International by 132.8% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,782,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,699,000 after buying an additional 1,587,052 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.83% of the company’s stock.

About GrafTech International

GrafTech International (NYSE: EAF) is a leading global manufacturer of graphite electrodes and other specialty graphite products used primarily in electric arc furnaces (EAFs) for steel production. The company’s core offerings include ultrahigh-power, high-power and regular power electrodes, along with related accessories such as graphite shapes and heterogeneous carbon materials. These products play a critical role in steelmaking by conducting the high electrical currents required to melt scrap steel efficiently and with reduced environmental impact compared to traditional blast furnace methods.

With a manufacturing footprint spanning North America, Europe and Asia, GrafTech serves steel producers and foundries worldwide.