First Trust Advisors LP Buys 172,879 Shares of OUTFRONT Media Inc. $OUT

First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE:OUT) by 102.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 342,195 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 172,879 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.19% of OUTFRONT Media worth $9,068,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Burney Co. acquired a new stake in OUTFRONT Media in the fourth quarter valued at $735,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of OUTFRONT Media by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,654,899 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $545,983,000 after purchasing an additional 1,131,954 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of OUTFRONT Media by 116.6% during the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 269,557 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,496,000 after purchasing an additional 145,115 shares during the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of OUTFRONT Media by 30.3% in the 4th quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 333,440 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,036,000 after purchasing an additional 77,545 shares during the period. Finally, AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc bought a new stake in shares of OUTFRONT Media in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,044,000.

OUTFRONT Media Price Performance

OUTFRONT Media stock opened at $31.87 on Friday. OUTFRONT Media Inc. has a 12 month low of $16.64 and a 12 month high of $34.96. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $32.18 and its 200-day moving average is $29.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.90. The company has a market capitalization of $5.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.35, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.48.

OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $429.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $431.44 million. OUTFRONT Media had a return on equity of 30.36% and a net margin of 9.98%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.14 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that OUTFRONT Media Inc. will post 2.11 EPS for the current year.

OUTFRONT Media Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 5th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. OUTFRONT Media’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 114.29%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

OUT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $37.00 price target on OUTFRONT Media in a report on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered OUTFRONT Media from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $38.00 price objective on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barrington Research set a $38.00 target price on OUTFRONT Media in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $38.00 target price (up from $32.00) on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at OUTFRONT Media

In related news, EVP Richard H. Sauer sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.08, for a total value of $160,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 56,947 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,826,859.76. This represents a 8.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP James Michael Norton purchased 4,130 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $30.81 per share, for a total transaction of $127,245.30. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 4,130 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $127,245.30. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 20,000 shares of company stock worth $629,600 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.

About OUTFRONT Media

OUTFRONT Media Inc is a leading out-of-home (OOH) advertising company offering a broad range of billboard, transit and digital display solutions across major urban markets in the United States and Canada. Its portfolio encompasses traditional static billboards, high-resolution digital signage, transit media on buses, trains and taxis, as well as street furniture placements such as bus shelters, kiosks and urban panels. The company partners with brand marketers to deliver high-impact campaigns that engage consumers outside the home environment.

Through an extensive network of assets in key metropolitan areas, OUTFRONT provides advertisers with premium visibility along highways, city streets and transit corridors.