Scalar Gauge Management LLC Makes New Investment in Guidewire Software, Inc. $GWRE

Scalar Gauge Management LLC acquired a new stake in Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE:GWRE) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 23,000 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,287,000. Guidewire Software accounts for 2.7% of Scalar Gauge Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GWRE. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Guidewire Software in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Guidewire Software in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Guidewire Software during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Guidewire Software during the second quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Spire Wealth Management grew its holdings in Guidewire Software by 135.1% in the third quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 174 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period.

Guidewire Software Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWRE opened at $162.07 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.48, a quick ratio of 3.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market cap of $13.78 billion, a PE ratio of 154.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.42 and a beta of 1.08. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $194.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $217.38. Guidewire Software, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.51 and a 1-year high of $272.60.

Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, December 3rd. The technology company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Guidewire Software had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 10.15%. The company had revenue of $332.64 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $316.62 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Guidewire Software, Inc. will post 0.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Guidewire Software announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, January 8th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the technology company to reacquire up to 3.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on GWRE. DA Davidson upgraded shares of Guidewire Software from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $246.00 to $250.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Citigroup increased their price target on Guidewire Software from $242.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Zacks Research downgraded Guidewire Software from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Guidewire Software from $275.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Guidewire Software in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $269.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Jeffrey Elliott Cooper sold 216 shares of Guidewire Software stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.87, for a total transaction of $39,067.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 72,753 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,158,835.11. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO David Franklin Peterson sold 358 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.08, for a total value of $68,764.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,806 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,459,776.48. This represents a 2.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 51,558 shares of company stock valued at $10,261,857. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

About Guidewire Software

Guidewire Software, Inc develops software products and cloud services for property and casualty (P&C) insurance carriers. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company’s offerings are designed to help insurers manage the core functions of their business—policy administration, billing and claims—while supporting digital engagement, analytics and operational modernization.

Guidewire’s core product portfolio is commonly known as the InsuranceSuite, which includes PolicyCenter for policy administration, BillingCenter for billing and receivables, and ClaimCenter for claims management.