NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTCT) Shares Sold by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP cut its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTCT) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,281,105 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 150,684 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 5.97% of NetScout Systems worth $92,728,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in NetScout Systems by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,432,901 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $31,037,000 after purchasing an additional 62,603 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its stake in shares of NetScout Systems by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 58,900 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,276,000 after buying an additional 1,700 shares during the last quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC acquired a new stake in NetScout Systems in the fourth quarter valued at $323,000. Mariner LLC grew its holdings in NetScout Systems by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 13,307 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $288,000 after acquiring an additional 681 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of NetScout Systems by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 289,100 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $6,262,000 after purchasing an additional 12,637 shares during the last quarter. 91.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NetScout Systems Stock Performance

NTCT stock opened at $21.11 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $21.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. NetScout Systems, Inc. has a 12-month low of $17.10 and a 12-month high of $27.89. The firm has a market cap of $1.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.60 and a beta of 0.66.

NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The technology company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.04. NetScout Systems had a negative net margin of 50.90% and a positive return on equity of 6.76%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that NetScout Systems, Inc. will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at NetScout Systems

In related news, EVP John Downing sold 3,000 shares of NetScout Systems stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.25, for a total value of $72,750.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 130,352 shares in the company, valued at $3,161,036. This trade represents a 2.25 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jean A. Bua sold 11,999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.92, for a total transaction of $287,016.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 71,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,706,955.12. This trade represents a 14.39 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 21,499 shares of company stock worth $512,321. 3.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of NetScout Systems from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st.

About NetScout Systems

NetScout Systems, Inc provides service assurance and cybersecurity solutions for protect digital business services against disruptions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company offers nGeniusONE management software that enables customers to predict, preempt, and resolve network and service delivery problems, as well as facilitate the optimization and capacity planning of their network infrastructures; and specialized platforms and analytic modules that enable its customers to analyze and troubleshoot traffic in radio access and Wi-Fi networks.