Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) Stock Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE:CMP)’s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $20.51 and traded as high as $22.22. Compass Minerals International shares last traded at $21.51, with a volume of 2,770,358 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CMP has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Loop Capital set a $24.00 price objective on Compass Minerals International in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Compass Minerals International from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Compass Point set a $22.00 target price on Compass Minerals International in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Compass Minerals International in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Compass Minerals International from $22.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $22.00.

Compass Minerals International Trading Down 2.2%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $23.78 and a 200 day moving average of $20.52. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $900.41 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -23.38 and a beta of 1.15.

Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $396.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $329.23 million. Compass Minerals International had a positive return on equity of 8.69% and a negative net margin of 2.82%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.55) EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Compass Minerals International, Inc. will post -0.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Compass Minerals International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Gumshoe Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Compass Minerals International during the 4th quarter worth about $24,842,000. Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Compass Minerals International by 201.7% in the second quarter. Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. now owns 1,280,648 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $25,728,000 after acquiring an additional 856,149 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Compass Minerals International by 4,579.9% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 776,303 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $15,247,000 after acquiring an additional 759,715 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Compass Minerals International by 379.4% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 522,108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $10,024,000 after acquiring an additional 413,205 shares during the period. Finally, Engine Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Compass Minerals International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $7,529,000. Institutional investors own 99.78% of the company’s stock.

Compass Minerals International Company Profile

Compass Minerals International, Inc is a global producer of essential mineral-based products, primarily known for its salt and plant nutrition portfolios. The company’s deicing salts are used by municipalities and commercial customers across North America to maintain safer roadways in winter months. In addition, its water conditioning salts serve both residential and industrial users, supporting water treatment systems that remove hard minerals to protect plumbing and equipment.

Beyond conventional salt products, Compass Minerals has developed a specialty plant nutrition business focused on sulfate of potash (SOP), a premium fertilizer that provides both potassium and sulfur to crops.