Argan (NYSE:AGX) Sets New 52-Week High After Dividend Announcement

Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGXGet Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a dividend announcement from the company. The company traded as high as $605.00 and last traded at $603.8380, with a volume of 1898 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $576.95.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Argan’s payout ratio is presently 20.53%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Argan in a report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Argan from $399.00 to $518.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. CJS Securities raised shares of Argan to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research raised shares of Argan from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Argan from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $425.40.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Argan

Argan Trading Up 3.6%

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $455.43 and its 200-day moving average is $367.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.56 and a beta of 0.46.

Argan (NYSE:AGXGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 26th. The construction company reported $3.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by $1.48. The business had revenue of $262.05 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $255.32 million. Argan had a net margin of 14.59% and a return on equity of 33.62%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.22 EPS.

Key Argan News

Here are the key news stories impacting Argan this week:

Argan declared that its board has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 8th that authorizes the company to buyback $200.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to repurchase up to 2.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Argan

In related news, Director John Ronald Jr. Jeffrey sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.78, for a total transaction of $1,803,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,192 shares in the company, valued at $2,955,509.76. This represents a 37.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Peter W. Getsinger sold 2,581 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $552.73, for a total transaction of $1,426,596.13. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,847 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,995,462.31. This trade represents a 19.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 51,257 shares of company stock valued at $20,291,136 in the last quarter. 6.69% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Argan

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AGX. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in Argan by 12.2% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 117,805 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $15,452,000 after acquiring an additional 12,854 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in Argan by 118.3% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 5,316 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $697,000 after acquiring an additional 2,881 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Argan by 13.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 35,567 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,665,000 after acquiring an additional 4,196 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in Argan by 37.3% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 8,985 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,179,000 after acquiring an additional 2,442 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in Argan in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $286,000. 79.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Argan

(Get Free Report)

Argan, Inc (NYSE: AGX) is a holding company that provides professional technical and management services to the power generation and renewable energy industries. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, the company delivers engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM), commissioning and operations and maintenance (O&M) services for a broad range of energy facilities. Argan focuses on projects for utility, industrial and municipally owned clients, helping to bring efficient thermal and renewable energy plants into operation and maintain optimal performance over the asset life cycle.

The company’s principal subsidiaries include Gemma Power Systems, which specializes in turnkey construction of combined-cycle, simple-cycle, cogeneration and renewable energy plants; Atlantic Projects Company, which provides electrical balance-of-plant, control systems, instrumentation and commissioning services; and Infrastructure Solutions, which offers industrial maintenance, outage support and modification services.

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