Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) Shares Gap Up on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Friday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $85.27, but opened at $96.01. Willdan Group shares last traded at $87.4490, with a volume of 96,458 shares trading hands.

The construction company reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.40. Willdan Group had a net margin of 5.60% and a return on equity of 18.60%. The firm had revenue of $94.97 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.00 million. Willdan Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on WLDN. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $103.00 target price (up from $62.00) on shares of Willdan Group in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Willdan Group in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Willdan Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Willdan Group in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Willdan Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $111.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Dennis V. Mcginn sold 7,298 shares of Willdan Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.32, for a total value of $775,923.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,204,605.60. This trade represents a 39.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Creighton K. Early sold 7,764 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.54, for a total value of $904,816.56. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 72,071 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,399,154.34. This represents a 9.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 416,439 shares of company stock worth $44,925,389. 8.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willdan Group

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WLDN. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its position in Willdan Group by 1,915.4% during the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 262 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Willdan Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new position in shares of Willdan Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in Willdan Group during the 3rd quarter worth $75,000. Finally, USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in Willdan Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $65,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Willdan Group Stock Up 1.2%

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.13 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $97.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $78.76.

Willdan Group Company Profile

Willdan Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional, technical, and consulting services primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Energy, and Engineering and Consulting. The Energy segment offers comprehensive audit and surveys, program design and implementation, master planning, demand reduction, grid optimization, benchmarking analyses, design engineering, construction management, performance contracting, installation, alternative financing, measurement and verification services, and software and data analytics, as well as energy consulting and engineering, turnkey facility and infrastructure projects, and customer support services.