Mistras Group (NYSE:MG) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Shares of Mistras Group Inc (NYSE:MG) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday. Approximately 468,853 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 104% from the average daily volume of 229,331 shares. The stock last traded at $20.2150 and had previously closed at $20.47.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Mistras Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings raised Mistras Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $19.00.

Mistras Group Trading Down 1.3%

The company has a market capitalization of $643.53 million, a P/E ratio of 24.34, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.71. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $20.27 and a 200 day moving average of $17.24.

Mistras Group (NYSE:MG) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The technology company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.04. Mistras Group had a net margin of 3.65% and a return on equity of 14.66%. The company had revenue of $193.13 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $189.66 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Mistras Group Inc will post 1.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Mistras Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MG. Ellsworth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Mistras Group by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC now owns 43,520 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $917,000 after acquiring an additional 1,204 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its stake in Mistras Group by 84.6% during the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 3,258 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 1,493 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Mistras Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Mistras Group by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 225,494 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $3,333,000 after acquiring an additional 4,058 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of Mistras Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $71,000. Institutional investors own 74.92% of the company’s stock.

Mistras Group Company Profile

Mistras Group, Inc provides asset protection and industrial inspection services designed to help companies monitor the condition, safety and performance of critical infrastructure. The company combines nondestructive testing, inspection, engineering, monitoring and data-management capabilities to identify defects and support maintenance decisions without interrupting the operation of industrial assets.

Its services and technologies include nondestructive testing and examination, mechanical integrity programs, acoustic-emission testing, structural health monitoring, rope access, remote visual inspection and other specialized inspection techniques.