Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE:SPH) Sees Large Volume Increase – Should You Buy?

Shares of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE:SPH) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 123,491 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 1% from the previous session’s volume of 124,906 shares.The stock last traded at $20.2630 and had previously closed at $19.89.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on SPH shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Suburban Propane Partners from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Argus upgraded Suburban Propane Partners to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Zacks Research raised Suburban Propane Partners from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Strong Buy”.

Suburban Propane Partners Trading Down 1.5%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.41 and a beta of 0.42. The business has a 50-day moving average of $19.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11.

Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE:SPH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The energy company reported $0.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.16. Suburban Propane Partners had a return on equity of 19.94% and a net margin of 9.30%.The business had revenue of $370.39 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $392.00 million. Research analysts predict that Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. will post 1.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Suburban Propane Partners Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.325 per share. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 5th. Suburban Propane Partners’s payout ratio is presently 64.04%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Suburban Propane Partners

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Founders Capital Management boosted its holdings in Suburban Propane Partners by 56.4% during the third quarter. Founders Capital Management now owns 1,877 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 677 shares in the last quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Suburban Propane Partners during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Suburban Propane Partners during the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Suburban Propane Partners during the third quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Suburban Propane Partners by 37.7% during the third quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,650 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. 30.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Suburban Propane Partners Company Profile

Suburban Propane Partners L.P. (NYSE: SPH) is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey, that provides propane and related energy services to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. As one of the largest propane retailers in the United States, the company delivers propane gas, heating oil, diesel fuel and natural gas throughout its service territories. In addition to fuel distribution, Suburban Propane offers HVAC installation, maintenance and repair services, as well as safety inspections and equipment leasing to support customers’ energy needs.

The company’s core business centers on the delivery of propane for space and water heating, cooking and agricultural applications.