ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

ePlus inc. (NASDAQ:PLUS) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $98.92 and last traded at $97.72, with a volume of 26,580 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $96.61.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of ePlus in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Zacks Research raised shares of ePlus from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating. Based on data from MarketBeat, ePlus has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

ePlus Trading Down 0.1%

The business’s fifty day moving average is $92.63 and its 200 day moving average is $85.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.95.

ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The software maker reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $667.92 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $636.10 million. ePlus had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 5.02%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that ePlus inc. will post 4.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ePlus Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. ePlus’s payout ratio is 22.45%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Elaine Marion sold 4,842 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.33, for a total value of $466,429.86. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 79,259 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,635,019.47. This represents a 5.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Darren Raiguel sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 65,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,157,608.48. This represents a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 8,000 shares of company stock valued at $760,760. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of ePlus by 19.3% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 940 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Inceptionr LLC lifted its holdings in ePlus by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. Inceptionr LLC now owns 3,419 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its holdings in shares of ePlus by 2.0% in the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 14,164 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $1,066,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its position in ePlus by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 6,944 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $578,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in ePlus by 26.0% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,827 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $164,000 after acquiring an additional 377 shares during the last quarter. 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.