Carpenter Technology (NYSE:CRS) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Shares of Carpenter Technology Corporation (NYSE:CRS) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $331.61, but opened at $316.17. Carpenter Technology shares last traded at $320.0520, with a volume of 871,949 shares trading hands.

Key Headlines Impacting Carpenter Technology

Here are the key news stories impacting Carpenter Technology this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS beat and improved profitability — CRS reported $2.33 GAAP EPS (beat consensus ~$2.20) and delivered record quarterly operating income; net margin and ROE expanded year‑over‑year. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Raised full‑year operating income guidance — Management increased FY26 operating income guidance after the quarter, signaling confidence in near‑term demand and margins. Guidance Raise
• Positive Sentiment: End‑market strength in aerospace & defense — Management cited accelerating aerospace & defense demand, higher sequential bookings and closed long‑term aerospace agreements that should support revenue visibility. GlobeNewswire Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue up year‑over‑year but slightly below estimates — Sales grew ~7.5% YoY to $728M but missed the ~$734M consensus, leaving some near‑term growth questions. Zacks Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational details available — Management provided a slide deck and call transcript with segment margin detail (specialty alloys outperformed guidance). Useful for modeling but contains both upside and timing risks. Press Release / Slides
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and profit‑taking — Despite the beat and guide lift, shares traded lower today as some investors may be locking gains after a strong run (stock near its 52‑week high). MarketBeat Quote
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and near‑term sensitivity — CRS trades at an elevated P/E (~39) and PEG (~1.46); missing revenue or execution could pressure the multiple. Valuation Data

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CRS has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Carpenter Technology in a research report on Friday, November 14th. KeyCorp raised Carpenter Technology from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $380.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, November 13th. BTIG Research increased their price target on Carpenter Technology from $305.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Carpenter Technology in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Carpenter Technology from $305.00 to $388.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $371.14.

Carpenter Technology Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $324.36 and a 200-day moving average price of $286.35. The company has a quick ratio of 2.37, a current ratio of 4.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market cap of $15.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.47, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.29.

Carpenter Technology (NYSE:CRS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The basic materials company reported $2.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $728.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $733.76 million. Carpenter Technology had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 22.68%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.66 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Carpenter Technology Corporation will post 6.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Carpenter Technology Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 27th will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 27th. Carpenter Technology’s dividend payout ratio is 9.78%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Brian J. Malloy sold 43,688 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $304.45, for a total transaction of $13,300,811.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 78,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,013,493.75. This trade represents a 35.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Elizabeth A. Socci sold 3,900 shares of Carpenter Technology stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $321.25, for a total transaction of $1,252,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 9,594 shares in the company, valued at $3,082,072.50. This represents a 28.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 79,358 shares of company stock valued at $24,254,008. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Carpenter Technology

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UBS Group AG lifted its position in shares of Carpenter Technology by 171.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 606,501 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $190,951,000 after buying an additional 382,865 shares during the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Carpenter Technology by 127.7% during the fourth quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,141 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,619,000 after purchasing an additional 2,883 shares during the last quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Carpenter Technology by 167.6% in the fourth quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 16,398 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,163,000 after purchasing an additional 10,270 shares during the period. Virtus Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Carpenter Technology in the fourth quarter worth $9,443,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Carpenter Technology by 24.1% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 484 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $152,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the period. 92.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Carpenter Technology

Carpenter Technology Corporation engages in the manufacture, fabrication, and distribution of specialty metals in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Mexico, Canada, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Specialty Alloys Operations and Performance Engineered Products. The company offers specialty alloys, including titanium alloys, powder metals, stainless steels, alloy steels, and tool steels, as well as additives, and metal powders and parts. It serves to aerospace, defense, medical, transportation, energy, industrial, and consumer markets.