Gabelli Funds LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Post Holdings, Inc. $POST

Gabelli Funds LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST) by 3.7% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 186,060 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,100 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC’s holdings in Post were worth $18,394,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of POST. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Post in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $113,660,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of Post by 104.5% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 415,493 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,155,000 after buying an additional 212,325 shares in the last quarter. H Squared Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Post in the fourth quarter worth $19,115,000. Duquesne Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Post in the third quarter worth $18,959,000. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Post by 773.1% in the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 176,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,231,000 after acquiring an additional 156,184 shares in the last quarter. 94.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Post Stock Performance

POST stock opened at $91.17 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $90.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $98.14. Post Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $83.89 and a 12-month high of $117.28. The firm has a market cap of $4.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.35 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.38.

Post (NYSE:POST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.21. Post had a net margin of 4.01% and a return on equity of 13.36%. The firm had revenue of $2.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.41 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Post Holdings, Inc. will post 7.57 EPS for the current year.

Post News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Post this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Post recently reported quarterly EPS of $1.94, topping analyst expectations of $1.73, while revenue grew 4.7% year over year, signaling solid underlying demand and better-than-expected profitability.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s revenue came in slightly below estimates, and margins remain something investors may continue to monitor, but the latest results still pointed to resilient operating performance.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts currently expect Post Holdings to generate $7.57 in EPS for the full year, which suggests the market may be focusing on execution versus guidance rather than a major change in the outlook.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Gregory L. Curl sold 6,186 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.05, for a total value of $649,839.30. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 15,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,586,990.35. This trade represents a 29.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 14.05% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

POST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Post from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Post in a research report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Post from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $128.00 price target on shares of Post in a research report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Post from $119.00 to $116.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Post currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $113.60.

Post Profile

Post Holdings, Inc is a consumer packaged goods company that operates as a holding company for a diverse portfolio of food and beverage brands. The company’s principal activities include the production, marketing and distribution of ready-to-eat cereal, refrigerated and frozen foods, and nutritional beverages. Through its operating segments—Post Consumer Brands, Foodservice, Refrigerated Side Dishes & Bakery, and Active Nutrition—Post Holdings delivers a broad array of products to retail grocers, convenience stores, foodservice operators and e-commerce channels.

The Post Consumer Brands segment features a variety of hot and cold cereals under names such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Shredded Wheat and Pebbles.