Transcat (NASDAQ:TRNS) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Should You Sell?

Transcat, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRNS) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $70.47 and last traded at $72.47, with a volume of 64162 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $74.84.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Transcat from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Craig Hallum increased their price objective on Transcat from $113.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Oppenheimer lowered Transcat from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. HC Wainwright decreased their price target on Transcat from $126.00 to $106.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Northland Securities reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective (down from $110.00) on shares of Transcat in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $111.50.

Transcat Trading Up 0.6 %

The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $88.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $105.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $665.41 million, a PE ratio of 38.64 and a beta of 0.66.

Transcat (NASDAQ:TRNS) last released its earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.07. Transcat had a return on equity of 7.23% and a net margin of 6.22%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.56 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Transcat, Inc. will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Craig D. Cairns purchased 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $77.02 per share, with a total value of $92,424.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,910 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $147,108.20. The trade was a 169.01 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Transcat

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of Transcat by 686.7% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 354 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Transcat by 1,052.0% during the 4th quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 1,152 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $122,000 after acquiring an additional 1,052 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Transcat during the fourth quarter worth about $143,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Transcat in the fourth quarter valued at about $182,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of Transcat by 15.6% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,547 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $187,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. 98.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Transcat

Transcat, Inc provides calibration and laboratory instrument services in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Service and Distribution. The Service segment offers calibration, repair, inspection, analytical qualification, preventative maintenance, consulting, and other related services.