Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Central Puerto S.A. Sponsored ADR (NYSE:CEPU)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $17.19, but opened at $17.90. Central Puerto shares last traded at $17.80, with a volume of 113,824 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on CEPU. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Central Puerto in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Central Puerto in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.50 target price for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Central Puerto from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $17.50.

Central Puerto Stock Up 1.7%

The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $11.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.88 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 1.31.

Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter. Central Puerto had a return on equity of 15.01% and a net margin of 28.24%. As a group, research analysts expect that Central Puerto S.A. Sponsored ADR will post 0.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Puerto

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp bought a new position in Central Puerto during the third quarter valued at $60,000. Banco Santander S.A. purchased a new position in Central Puerto in the 3rd quarter worth about $138,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Puerto during the third quarter valued at approximately $138,000. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Puerto during the 1st quarter worth $170,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in shares of Central Puerto by 13.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 20,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $240,000 after purchasing an additional 2,460 shares in the last quarter. 2.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Central Puerto Company Profile

Central Puerto SA engages in the electric power generation in Argentina. It operates through three segments: Electric Power Generation from Conventional Sources, Electric Power Generation from Renewable Sources, and Natural Gas Transport and Distribution. The company generates energy through thermal, hydroelectric, and wind farms.