NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT) Stock Price Down 1.8% – Should You Sell?

NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTCT)’s stock price fell 1.8% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $21.33 and last traded at $21.30. 52,470 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 436,149 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.70.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NTCT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of NetScout Systems from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com upgraded shares of NetScout Systems from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th.

NetScout Systems Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.68 and a beta of 0.60. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $22.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The technology company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.04. NetScout Systems had a negative net margin of 50.90% and a positive return on equity of 6.76%. Analysts anticipate that NetScout Systems, Inc. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at NetScout Systems

In other NetScout Systems news, COO Michael Szabados sold 6,500 shares of NetScout Systems stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.47, for a total transaction of $152,555.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 35,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $844,661.83. The trade was a 15.30 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John Downing sold 3,000 shares of NetScout Systems stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.25, for a total transaction of $72,750.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 130,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,161,036. The trade was a 2.25 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 21,499 shares of company stock worth $512,321 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 3.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NetScout Systems

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of NetScout Systems by 1,214.4% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,367 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 1,263 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP raised its position in shares of NetScout Systems by 316.8% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,513 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,150 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of NetScout Systems by 32.1% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,964 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 477 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in NetScout Systems by 811.9% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,973 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its holdings in NetScout Systems by 52.4% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,100 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 1,066 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.64% of the company’s stock.

About NetScout Systems

NetScout Systems, Inc provides service assurance and cybersecurity solutions for protect digital business services against disruptions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company offers nGeniusONE management software that enables customers to predict, preempt, and resolve network and service delivery problems, as well as facilitate the optimization and capacity planning of their network infrastructures; and specialized platforms and analytic modules that enable its customers to analyze and troubleshoot traffic in radio access and Wi-Fi networks.