ePlus inc. (NASDAQ:PLUS – Get Free Report)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $98.92 and last traded at $97.72, with a volume of 26,580 shares. The stock had previously closed at $96.61.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of ePlus in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of ePlus from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ePlus presently has an average rating of “Hold”.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on PLUS
ePlus Stock Up 1.9%
The company has a market capitalization of $2.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.46, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $92.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $85.89.
ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The software maker reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $667.92 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $636.10 million. ePlus had a net margin of 5.02% and a return on equity of 11.93%. On average, analysts predict that ePlus inc. will post 4.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.
ePlus Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. ePlus’s payout ratio is presently 22.45%.
Insider Activity
In related news, COO Darren S. Raiguel sold 1,000 shares of ePlus stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.68, for a total transaction of $94,680.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 65,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,157,608.48. This trade represents a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John E. Callies sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.09, for a total value of $44,045.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 20,648 shares in the company, valued at $1,818,882.32. This represents a 2.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,500 shares of company stock valued at $804,805. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of ePlus
Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in ePlus in the second quarter worth $337,929,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of ePlus by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,310,378 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $98,604,000 after buying an additional 48,158 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of ePlus by 118.2% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 579,047 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $43,573,000 after buying an additional 313,674 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners raised its stake in shares of ePlus by 29.4% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 319,166 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $28,857,000 after buying an additional 72,511 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of ePlus by 9.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 278,636 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $20,968,000 after acquiring an additional 24,348 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.80% of the company’s stock.
ePlus Company Profile
ePlus inc. is a technology solutions provider that helps businesses and public-sector organizations plan, acquire, implement and manage information technology. Its offerings include data center and cloud infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, collaboration tools, software and related professional and managed services. The company also provides financing solutions for technology purchases, including leasing and other equipment financing arrangements. Founded in 1990, ePlus serves customers across the United States and the United Kingdom.
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