Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Receives 'Buy' Rating from Truist Financial

On Thursday, Truist Financial reaffirmed its "buy" rating on shares of Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE), a notable player in the specialty chemicals market. The firm set a new price target of $12.00 for the stock, which is a reduction from their prior target of $18.00. Despite this adjustment, the new price target suggests a possible upside of approximately 92.62% based on the stock's last closing price.

Other financial institutions have also recently provided updates on Green Plains. For instance, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price from $13.00 to $8.00, rating the stock as "market perform." Additionally, Stephens upgraded their stance to a "hold" rating in early December. On the other hand, StockNews.com changed its recommendation for Green Plains from "hold" to "sell." Currently, one analyst has issued a sell rating, three analysts have given it a hold rating, and five analysts have identified it as a buy. According to MarketBeat, the consensus rating for Green Plains stands at "Hold," with an average price target of $22.56.

Stock Performance

Green Plains shares opened at $6.23 on Thursday. The stock has shown considerable volatility over the past year, with a low of $5.98 and a high of $24.21. Key financial ratios indicate a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.78, and a quick ratio of 1.16. The stock's 50-day moving average is marked at $9.48, while the 200-day moving average sits at $11.69. Green Plains currently holds a market capitalization of approximately $402.77 million, with a P/E ratio of -16.39 and a PEG ratio of 3.69. The company has a beta of 1.44, indicating it may experience higher volatility compared to the market as a whole.

Recent Earnings Report

The latest earnings report from Green Plains was released on February 7th. The company reported an earnings per share (EPS) of ($0.86), which fell short of analysts' expectations of ($0.22) by $0.64. Furthermore, Green Plains reported a negative return on equity of 4.81% and a net margin of -0.79%. In the same quarter last year, the firm posted an EPS of $0.13. Looking ahead, analysts predict Green Plains will post an EPS of -1.02 for the current year.

Institutional Investments

There has been significant activity from hedge funds regarding Green Plains. For example, State Street Corp has increased its holdings by 2.9% in the third quarter and now owns 3,910,245 shares valued at about $52.9 million. Charles Schwab Investment Management also raised its stake by 21.8%, acquiring 1,401,476 shares worth $13.29 million. Other funds, such as Kailix Advisors LLC and Assenagon Asset Management, have also boosted their positions in Green Plains. Overall, there seems to be a keen interest among institutional investors regarding this company.

Company Overview

Green Plains Inc is a producer of low-carbon fuels, operating both in the United States and internationally. The company works across three major segments: Ethanol Production, Agribusiness and Energy Services, and Partnership. Within the Ethanol Production segment, they produce not only ethanol but also distillers grains and renewable corn oil.

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