StockNews.com Downgrades National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) to Sell

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report released on Monday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $7.50 price objective (up previously from $6.00) on shares of National CineMedia in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $8.00 target price on shares of National CineMedia in a report on Monday, September 23rd. Finally, Barrington Research lifted their price target on shares of National CineMedia from $7.50 to $8.25 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $8.06.

National CineMedia Stock Performance

National CineMedia stock traded up $0.54 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $6.80. 759,573 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 534,918. National CineMedia has a 12 month low of $3.65 and a 12 month high of $7.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 2.46 and a quick ratio of 2.46. The business has a 50 day moving average of $6.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $645.46 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -27.20 and a beta of 2.06.

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The business services provider reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $62.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $58.20 million. National CineMedia had a negative return on equity of 2.61% and a negative net margin of 9.49%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.33 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that National CineMedia will post -0.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other National CineMedia news, EVP Maria Vg Woods sold 23,742 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.51, for a total value of $154,560.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 66,987 shares in the company, valued at $436,085.37. This represents a 26.17 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National CineMedia

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rhumbline Advisers purchased a new position in National CineMedia during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $427,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in National CineMedia by 240.5% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 721,697 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,088,000 after purchasing an additional 509,756 shares during the last quarter. Kings Path Partners LLC purchased a new stake in National CineMedia during the fourth quarter valued at $408,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of National CineMedia in the 3rd quarter worth $292,000. Finally, State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of National CineMedia by 23.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,157,488 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $8,160,000 after buying an additional 222,498 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.49% of the company’s stock.

About National CineMedia

National CineMedia, Inc, through its subsidiary, National CineMedia, LLC, operates cinema advertising network in North America. It engages in the sale of advertising to national, regional, and local businesses in Noovie, a cinema advertising and entertainment show seen on movie screens; and sells advertising on its Lobby Entertainment Network, a series of strategically-placed screens located in movie theater lobbies, as well as other forms of advertising and promotions in theatre lobbies.