Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) Stock Price Down 5.4% – Time to Sell?

Shares of Central Puerto S.A. (NYSE:CEPU) dropped 5.4% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $12.77 and last traded at $12.78. Approximately 212,617 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 56% from the average daily volume of 479,556 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.51.

Central Puerto Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $2.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.22 and a beta of 1.21. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $14.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.43.

Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 11th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $185.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $200.26 million. Central Puerto had a return on equity of 22.76% and a net margin of 56.44%. Analysts anticipate that Central Puerto S.A. will post 0.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Central Puerto Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a — dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were issued a $0.3954 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 29th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a positive change from Central Puerto’s previous — dividend of $0.07. Central Puerto’s payout ratio is presently 12.16%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Puerto

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CEPU. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Central Puerto during the 3rd quarter worth $351,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Central Puerto by 62.4% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp purchased a new position in Central Puerto during the second quarter worth about $161,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new stake in Central Puerto in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in Central Puerto in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $122,000. 2.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Central Puerto

Central Puerto SA engages in the electric power generation in Argentina. It operates through three segments: Electric Power Generation from Conventional Sources, Electric Power Generation from Renewable Sources, and Natural Gas Transport and Distribution. The company generates energy through thermal, hydroelectric, and wind farms.