OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE:OUT) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Brokerages

Shares of OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE:OUT) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $34.00.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on OUT shares. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 target price (up from $38.00) on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a report on Thursday, August 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $38.00 price target on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of OUTFRONT Media from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of OUTFRONT Media from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 26th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a report on Tuesday, September 8th.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Matthew Siegel sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.84, for a total transaction of $696,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 264,925 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,375,512. This trade represents a 8.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Mark Emilio Bonanni sold 3,385 shares of OUTFRONT Media stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.82, for a total value of $100,940.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,420 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $310,724.40. This represents a 24.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.45% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On OUTFRONT Media

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of OUTFRONT Media by 6.4% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,211,619 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $58,603,000 after buying an additional 133,960 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its holdings in OUTFRONT Media by 24.1% in the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 177,269 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,698,000 after acquiring an additional 34,403 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky raised its position in OUTFRONT Media by 199.5% during the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 109,420 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,900,000 after acquiring an additional 72,891 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in OUTFRONT Media by 102.1% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 342,195 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,068,000 after purchasing an additional 172,879 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP purchased a new position in OUTFRONT Media during the second quarter valued at $1,657,000.

OUTFRONT Media Stock Performance

Shares of OUT opened at $28.62 on Wednesday. OUTFRONT Media has a 12 month low of $16.97 and a 12 month high of $34.96. The firm has a market cap of $5.04 billion, a PE ratio of 20.59 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $29.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $30.42.

OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.30. OUTFRONT Media had a net margin of 12.66% and a return on equity of 37.44%. The firm had revenue of $522.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $509.61 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.51 EPS. OUTFRONT Media’s revenue was up 13.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that OUTFRONT Media will post 2.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

OUTFRONT Media Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th were paid a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 4th. This is a positive change from OUTFRONT Media’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.6%. OUTFRONT Media’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 94.96%.

OUTFRONT Media Company Profile

OUTFRONT Media Inc is an out-of-home advertising company that provides brands and agencies with advertising space across physical and digital displays. Its offerings include traditional and digital billboards, urban panels, street furniture, transit advertising, and other display formats designed to reach consumers in public spaces.

The company’s advertising inventory is used across major metropolitan areas and transportation systems in the United States. OUTFRONT combines its media assets with audience measurement, data and analytics, creative services, and digital advertising capabilities to help advertisers plan, deliver, and evaluate campaigns.

OUTFRONT Media was formed from the former CBS Outdoor Americas business and adopted its current name in 2014 following its separation from CBS Corporation.