Insider Selling: PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) Director Sells 635 Shares of Stock

PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) Director Gordon Hanson sold 635 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.60, for a total value of $100,076.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,149 shares in the company, valued at $1,284,282.40. This trade represents a 7.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

PriceSmart Stock Performance

PSMT traded down $3.63 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $154.59. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 120,691 shares, compared to its average volume of 231,142. The stock has a market cap of $4.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.49 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $152.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $138.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. PriceSmart, Inc. has a twelve month low of $99.14 and a twelve month high of $165.46.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.05. PriceSmart had a return on equity of 12.23% and a net margin of 2.82%.The company had revenue of $1.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.45 EPS. PriceSmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

PriceSmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 89.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. PriceSmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered PriceSmart from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Wall Street Zen lowered PriceSmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PriceSmart

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its position in shares of PriceSmart by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 3,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $454,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of PriceSmart by 14.3% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 590 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of PriceSmart by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,004 shares of the company’s stock worth $607,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted 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 worth $101,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of PriceSmart by 15.1% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 745 shares of the company’s stock worth $91,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.46% of the company’s stock.

About PriceSmart

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.