Transcat (NASDAQ:TRNS) Sets New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Shares of Transcat, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRNS) hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $69.92 and last traded at $69.97, with a volume of 54460 shares. The stock had previously closed at $72.05.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TRNS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Northland Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective (down previously from $110.00) on shares of Transcat in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. StockNews.com cut shares of Transcat from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. HC Wainwright cut their price objective on shares of Transcat from $126.00 to $106.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Craig Hallum lifted their target price on shares of Transcat from $113.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer downgraded Transcat from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $111.50.

Transcat Trading Down 2.9 %

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $84.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market cap of $651.35 million, a P/E ratio of 37.82 and a beta of 0.66.

Transcat (NASDAQ:TRNS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.07. Transcat had a return on equity of 7.23% and a net margin of 6.22%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.56 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Transcat, Inc. will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Transcat

In related news, Director Craig D. Cairns bought 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $77.02 per share, for a total transaction of $92,424.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,910 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,108.20. The trade was a 169.01 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Transcat

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Centiva Capital LP boosted its holdings in Transcat by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Centiva Capital LP now owns 3,009 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Transcat by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,137 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $543,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of Transcat by 686.7% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 354 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Transcat by 8.8% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,611 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $557,000 after acquiring an additional 373 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Transcat by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 34,710 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,670,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. 98.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Transcat

Transcat, Inc provides calibration and laboratory instrument services in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Service and Distribution. The Service segment offers calibration, repair, inspection, analytical qualification, preventative maintenance, consulting, and other related services.