National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $5.3750.

NCMI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Benchmark decreased their target price on shares of National CineMedia from $7.00 to $6.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of National CineMedia from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. B. Riley Financial lowered their price objective on National CineMedia from $5.00 to $4.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded National CineMedia from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Barrington Research reduced their target price on National CineMedia from $6.50 to $5.50 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 26th.

Insider Transactions at National CineMedia

In other National CineMedia news, EVP Maria Vg Woods sold 9,043 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.89, for a total transaction of $35,177.27. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 129,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $503,093.70. This represents a 6.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NCMI. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in National CineMedia by 59.8% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 488,025 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,850,000 after purchasing an additional 182,548 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in National CineMedia during the 1st quarter valued at $255,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of National CineMedia by 21.3% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 683,614 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,992,000 after buying an additional 120,079 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of National CineMedia by 511.8% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 93,061 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $543,000 after buying an additional 77,849 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of National CineMedia in the 1st quarter worth $43,000. Institutional investors own 69.49% of the company’s stock.

National CineMedia Stock Up 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:NCMI opened at $3.31 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3.98. National CineMedia has a 12-month low of $3.17 and a 12-month high of $6.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $308.29 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -33.10 and a beta of 1.36.

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The business services provider reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.03. National CineMedia had a negative return on equity of 2.29% and a negative net margin of 4.32%. On average, research analysts anticipate that National CineMedia will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National CineMedia Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a $0.03 dividend. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. National CineMedia’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -120.00%.

About National CineMedia

National CineMedia, Inc is a leading U.S. out-of-home media company specializing in cinema advertising. The firm operates a proprietary network that delivers high-impact advertising content to moviegoers across a broad footprint of theaters, offering brands a targeted and immersive way to engage audiences in a captive, distraction-free environment.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, National CineMedia began as a joint venture among several major exhibition chains.