Liquidity Services (NASDAQ:LQDT) Shares Gap Up on Earnings Beat

Liquidity Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:LQDT)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $22.68, but opened at $25.45. Liquidity Services shares last traded at $25.8950, with a volume of 180,411 shares traded.

The business services provider reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.08. Liquidity Services had a return on equity of 20.75% and a net margin of 6.25%.The company had revenue of $118.09 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $100.86 million. Liquidity Services has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.250-0.350 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on LQDT shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Liquidity Services in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $40.00 price objective on shares of Liquidity Services in a research note on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Liquidity Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Liquidity Services presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $38.50.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Jaime Mateus-Tique sold 5,403 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.45, for a total transaction of $148,312.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 164,562 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,517,226.90. This represents a 3.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 28.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Liquidity Services

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LQDT. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Liquidity Services in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of Liquidity Services by 166.8% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,318 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 824 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Liquidity Services during the third quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Quarry LP raised its stake in shares of Liquidity Services by 38.0% in the first quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,006 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 552 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in Liquidity Services by 451.0% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,700 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 2,210 shares during the period. 71.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Liquidity Services Stock Up 11.8%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $25.02 and a 200 day moving average of $24.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $792.36 million, a P/E ratio of 30.60 and a beta of 1.13.

About Liquidity Services

Liquidity Services, Inc provides e-commerce marketplaces, self-directed auction listing tools, and value-added services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: GovDeals, Retail Supply Chain Group (RSCG), Capital Assets Group (CAG), and Machinio. Its marketplaces include liquidation.com that enable corporations to sell surplus and salvage consumer goods and retail capital assets; GovDeals marketplace, which provides self-directed service solutions in which sellers list their own assets that enables local and state government entities, and commercial businesses located in the United States and Canada to sell surplus and salvage assets; and AllSurplus, a centralized marketplace that connects global buyer base with assets from across the network of marketplaces in a single destination.