Transcat (NASDAQ:TRNS) Hits New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

Transcat, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRNS) shares reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $70.47 and last traded at $72.47, with a volume of 64162 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $74.84.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Transcat Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $661.96 million, a P/E ratio of 38.44 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a 50 day moving average of $89.12 and a 200-day moving average of $105.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

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

Insider Activity at Transcat

In other news, Director Craig D. Cairns bought 1,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $77.02 per share, with a total value of $92,424.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,108.20. This trade represents a 169.01 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Transcat

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TRNS. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in Transcat by 15.6% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,547 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $187,000 after acquiring an additional 209 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Transcat by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,611 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $557,000 after purchasing an additional 373 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP grew its stake in shares of Transcat by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 511,701 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $61,798,000 after purchasing an additional 38,774 shares during the last quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Transcat by 50.3% in the 3rd quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,793 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $458,000 after purchasing an additional 1,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Transcat during the third quarter valued at approximately $235,000. Institutional investors own 98.34% of the company’s stock.

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.