Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (NYSE:AESI) Major Shareholder Richard W. Schmidt Sells 21,043 Shares

Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (NYSE:AESI) major shareholder Richard W. Schmidt sold 21,043 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.44, for a total value of $472,204.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,119,553 shares in the company, valued at $25,122,769.32. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Atlas Energy Solutions Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AESI opened at $22.49 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 3.21 and a current ratio of 3.44. Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. has a 52 week low of $15.28 and a 52 week high of $24.69. The firm has a market cap of $2.25 billion and a PE ratio of 14.32. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $19.06 and its 200-day moving average is $18.95.

Atlas Energy Solutions (NYSE:AESI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by ($0.24). Atlas Energy Solutions had a return on equity of 47.40% and a net margin of 17.17%. The company had revenue of $141.14 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $147.34 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. will post 2.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Atlas Energy Solutions Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.73%. This is an increase from Atlas Energy Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 21st. Atlas Energy Solutions’s payout ratio is currently 40.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on AESI shares. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Atlas Energy Solutions in a research report on Thursday, March 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 price target for the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Atlas Energy Solutions from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Atlas Energy Solutions from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Atlas Energy Solutions currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $25.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Atlas Energy Solutions

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AESI. Barclays PLC acquired a new stake in Atlas Energy Solutions in the first quarter worth $208,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC bought a new stake in Atlas Energy Solutions in the 1st quarter valued at about $68,000. Citigroup Inc. acquired a new position in Atlas Energy Solutions during the 1st quarter worth approximately $123,000. Sei Investments Co. bought a new position in Atlas Energy Solutions in the first quarter worth approximately $674,000. Finally, HRT Financial LP acquired a new stake in Atlas Energy Solutions in the first quarter valued at approximately $937,000. 34.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Atlas Energy Solutions

Atlas Energy Solutions Inc engages in the production, processing, and sale of mesh and sand that are used as a proppant during the well completion process in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. The company provides transportation and logistics, storage solutions, and contract labor services. It sells its products and services to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, and oilfield services companies.