Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Hold” Rating

Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

Several other analysts also recently commented on CTLT. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $63.50 price objective on shares of Catalent in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Baird R W cut Catalent from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, William Blair reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Catalent in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $59.83.

Catalent Price Performance

CTLT stock opened at $59.10 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $59.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $58.18. The company has a market capitalization of $10.73 billion, a P/E ratio of -26.15, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.16. Catalent has a twelve month low of $36.74 and a twelve month high of $61.20. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.05 by ($0.18). Catalent had a negative return on equity of 0.66% and a negative net margin of 9.28%. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.10) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Catalent will post 0.84 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider David Mcerlane sold 1,994 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.97, for a total value of $119,580.18. Following the sale, the insider now owns 36,304 shares in the company, valued at $2,177,150.88. This represents a 5.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Michelle R. Ryan sold 2,800 shares of Catalent stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.70, for a total value of $167,160.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,835 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $646,849.50. This represents a 20.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 5,114 shares of company stock worth $305,931. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Catalent

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CTLT. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Catalent during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Catalent in the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Sentry Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Catalent during the third quarter worth approximately $53,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC grew its stake in shares of Catalent by 45.7% during the 2nd quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 972 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 305 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Catalent by 25.9% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,032 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the period.

About Catalent

Catalent, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops and manufactures solutions for drugs, protein-based biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products worldwide. It operates in two segments, Biologics, and Pharma and Consumer Health. The Biologics segment provides formulation, development, and manufacturing for biologic proteins, cell gene, and other nucleic acid therapies; pDNA, iPSCs, oncolytic viruses, and vaccines; formulation, development, and manufacturing for parenteral dose forms, including vials, prefilled syringes, and cartridges; and analytical development and testing services for large molecules.