GATX (NYSE:GATX) Reaches New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings

GATX Co. (NYSE:GATX) shares reached a new 52-week high on Friday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $167.83 and last traded at $167.66, with a volume of 216047 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $161.43.

The transportation company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.25. GATX had a net margin of 17.76% and a return on equity of 11.98%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.74 earnings per share.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of GATX in a research note on Monday, November 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $185.00 target price on the stock. Sidoti lowered GATX from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $158.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of GATX from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, GATX currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $151.80.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Greenleaf Trust acquired a new stake in shares of GATX in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $228,000. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in GATX by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 6,068 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $940,000 after acquiring an additional 534 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of GATX by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,794 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $743,000 after purchasing an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of GATX during the 4th quarter worth $1,251,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of GATX by 91.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 163 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 93.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

GATX Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.41, a current ratio of 3.41 and a quick ratio of 3.41. The company’s 50 day moving average is $157.28 and its 200 day moving average is $144.88. The stock has a market cap of $5.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.41 and a beta of 0.99.

GATX Company Profile

GATX Corporation, together its subsidiaries, operates as railcar leasing company in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and India. It operates through three segments: Rail North America, Rail International, and Portfolio Management. The company leases tank and freight railcars, and locomotives for petroleum, chemical, food/agriculture, and transportation industries.