Knife River (NYSE:KNF) Stock Price Down 4.9% – Should You Sell?

Knife River Corporation (NYSE:KNF)’s share price traded down 4.9% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $77.55 and last traded at $78.12. 290,253 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 55% from the average session volume of 649,611 shares. The stock had previously closed at $82.11.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on KNF. B. Riley Financial began coverage on shares of Knife River in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $92.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of Knife River from $86.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Knife River from $106.00 to $109.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of Knife River from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Knife River from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.43.

Knife River Trading Down 7.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 2.54 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market cap of $4.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.42. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $81.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.33.

Knife River (NYSE:KNF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $755.06 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $726.60 million. Knife River had a net margin of 4.99% and a return on equity of 10.27%. Knife River’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Knife River Corporation will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Knife River

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. DMKC Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Knife River by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. DMKC Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,762 shares of the company’s stock worth $265,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the period. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Knife River by 5.8% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,941 shares of the company’s stock valued at $226,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. TIAA Trust National Association grew its stake in shares of Knife River by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 3,146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Knife River by 34.8% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 685 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Knife River by 141.8% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 341 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 80.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Knife River Company Profile

Knife River Corporation, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, is a leading integrated construction materials and contracting company in the western United States. The company specializes in producing and supplying aggregates, asphalt mix, ready-mixed concrete and other heavy construction materials used in highway, commercial and residential projects.

In addition to material production, Knife River offers a comprehensive suite of contracting services, including heavy civil construction, road building, underground and open-pit mining and logistics support.