Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) Earns Buy Rating from Analysts at Jones Trading

Equities researchers at Jones Trading initiated coverage on shares of Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage set a “buy” rating on the stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Bristow Group in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen raised Bristow Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Bristow Group Stock Up 3.4%

VTOL stock traded up $1.41 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $43.28. 86,195 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 149,504. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.52. Bristow Group has a twelve month low of $25.11 and a twelve month high of $44.08. The company has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 9.10 and a beta of 1.39.

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.78. The company had revenue of $386.29 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $400.00 million. Bristow Group had a return on equity of 14.83% and a net margin of 9.71%.

Insider Activity at Bristow Group

In related news, Director George Mark Mickelson sold 10,000 shares of Bristow Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.40, for a total value of $384,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 60,265 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,314,176. This trade represents a 14.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Lorin L. Brass sold 2,500 shares of Bristow Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.00, for a total value of $95,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 21,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $824,790. This represents a 10.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 221,000 shares of company stock valued at $8,417,775 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 13.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bristow Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its position in Bristow Group by 21.3% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 1,224,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,387,000 after buying an additional 215,214 shares during the last quarter. Kestrel Investment Management Corp purchased a new position in Bristow Group during the third quarter worth about $4,876,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in Bristow Group by 176.8% in 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. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Bristow Group by 112.6% during the 2nd quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 250,953 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,274,000 after buying an additional 132,926 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Algert Global LLC boosted its stake in shares of Bristow Group by 204.9% in the 3rd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 158,498 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,719,000 after buying an additional 106,514 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.29% of the company’s stock.

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.