Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) Upgraded at Raymond James Financial

Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) to a moderate buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on VTOL. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Bristow Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. JonesTrading assumed coverage on Bristow Group in a report on Friday, January 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $60.00.

Bristow Group Stock Down 1.8%

NYSE:VTOL traded down $0.85 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $46.06. 36,784 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 191,399. The company has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.63 and a beta of 1.38. Bristow Group has a twelve month low of $25.11 and a twelve month high of $47.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.91. The company has a fifty day moving average of $40.82 and a 200 day moving average of $38.83.

Insider Activity at Bristow Group

In other news, Director Lorin L. Brass sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.00, for a total transaction of $95,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 21,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $824,790. This trade represents a 10.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 13.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Bristow Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Bristow Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,613,000. Boston Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Bristow Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $13,486,000. Brown Advisory Inc. boosted its position in Bristow Group by 21.3% during the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 1,224,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,387,000 after purchasing an additional 215,214 shares during the last quarter. Kestrel Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Bristow Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,876,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Bristow Group by 176.8% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 210,768 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,605,000 after purchasing an additional 134,616 shares in the last quarter. 93.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Bristow Group

Bristow Group Inc is a global provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations worldwide. The company specializes in the safe and efficient transport of personnel, equipment and supplies to offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as emergency response and medevac services. Bristow’s operations support exploration, production and decommissioning activities, helping energy companies maintain continuity of production in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

The company maintains a diverse fleet of turbine-powered helicopters, including medium- and heavy-lift aircraft such as the Sikorsky S-92, Airbus H225 (formerly EC225) and Leonardo AW189.