Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC Makes New Investment in PriceSmart, Inc. $PSMT

Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC purchased a new position in PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 10,061 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,219,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in PSMT. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in PriceSmart by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,004 shares of the company’s stock worth $607,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of PriceSmart by 10.9% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 946 shares of the company’s stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in PriceSmart by 20.4% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 601 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in PriceSmart by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,722 shares of the company’s stock valued at $936,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in PriceSmart by 52.5% during the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.46% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on PSMT. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of PriceSmart from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of PriceSmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, PriceSmart presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

PriceSmart Stock Performance

Shares of PSMT stock opened at $153.06 on Thursday. PriceSmart, Inc. has a 52-week low of $81.25 and a 52-week high of $158.01. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $143.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $127.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a PE ratio of 31.24 and a beta of 0.73.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. PriceSmart had a net margin of 2.79% and a return on equity of 12.20%. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.36 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.21 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that PriceSmart, Inc. will post 5.28 EPS for the current year.

PriceSmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. This represents a dividend yield of 89.0%. PriceSmart’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Beatriz V. Infante sold 1,995 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.87, for a total transaction of $273,055.65. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 10,879 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,489,008.73. The trade was a 15.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO John D. Hildebrandt sold 7,421 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.88, for a total value of $1,015,786.48. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 108,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,809,594.72. This represents a 6.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 16,671 shares of company stock worth $2,283,051 in the last 90 days. 17.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

PriceSmart Profile

PriceSmart, Inc (NASDAQ: PSMT) is a U.S.-based retailer specializing in membership warehouse clubs. Founded in 1993, the company operates under a business model that offers bulk quantities of goods at discounted prices to individuals and businesses that purchase annual memberships. PriceSmart’s value proposition centers on low-cost operations, high-volume purchasing, and a no-frills shopping environment designed to pass savings directly to its members.

The company’s product assortment covers a broad range of merchandise categories, including groceries and fresh produce, household essentials, electronics, appliances, office supplies, furniture, and health and beauty items.