National Research (NASDAQ:NRC) Shares Break Above 200-Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Shares of National Research Corporation (NASDAQ:NRC) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $19.69 and traded as high as $21.56. National Research shares last traded at $21.19, with a volume of 142,651 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on NRC shares. Wall Street Zen cut National Research from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Citizens Jmp boosted their target price on National Research from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised National Research from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.00.

National Research Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.13, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.65. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $19.73. The company has a market cap of $463.76 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 81.56 and a beta of 0.25.

National Research (NASDAQ:NRC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.15) by $0.46. The company had revenue of $35.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.90 million. National Research had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 164.26%.

National Research Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 25th will be issued a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 25th. National Research’s dividend payout ratio is 256.00%.

Institutional Trading of National Research

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Empirical Finance LLC acquired a new stake in National Research during the second quarter worth about $431,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Research during the 1st quarter worth about $226,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in National Research by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 112,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,323 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its holdings in National Research by 61.3% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 62,329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,058,000 after buying an additional 23,682 shares during the period. Finally, Heartland Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in National Research by 374.3% in the first quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. now owns 237,147 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,027,000 after buying an additional 187,147 shares during the period. 47.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About National Research

National Research Corporation, doing business as NRC Health, provides research, analytics and technology solutions to the health care industry. The company helps hospitals, health systems and other care organizations understand patient and consumer perceptions, improve the care experience and strengthen relationships with the communities they serve.

Its offerings include patient and employee experience measurement, market and consumer insights, reputation management, customer relationship tools and analytics designed to support service improvement and strategic decision-making.