Copa (NYSE:CPA) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.26 EPS

Copa (NYSE:CPA) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The transportation company reported $4.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.44 by ($0.26), Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $962.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $959.22 million. Copa had a net margin of 18.57% and a return on equity of 26.14%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.99 earnings per share.

Copa Stock Performance

Shares of CPA opened at $148.05 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.92. Copa has a 52-week low of $82.54 and a 52-week high of $156.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $130.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $123.32.

Copa Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.71 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This is a positive change from Copa’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.61. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. Copa’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Copa from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Copa from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $150.00 to $151.00 in a research report on Thursday. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $185.00 target price on shares of Copa in a report on Friday. Itau BBA Securities assumed coverage on Copa in a research report on Sunday, November 30th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Copa from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Copa currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.63.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in Copa by 80.4% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 34,300 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,137,000 after acquiring an additional 15,291 shares in the last quarter. HRT Financial LP purchased a new position in Copa during the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,177,000. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Copa during the 4th quarter worth approximately $218,000. Triumph Capital Management increased its position in Copa by 58.3% during the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 475 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Copa by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,344,720 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $162,185,000 after buying an additional 31,699 shares during the last quarter. 70.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Copa Company Profile

Copa Holdings, SA (NYSE:CPA) is a Panama‐based aviation holding company that provides passenger and cargo air transportation across the Americas and the Caribbean. Through its principal subsidiary, Copa Airlines, the company operates a modern fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, offering scheduled flights that connect passengers through its Tocumen International Airport hub in Panama City. The company also offers dedicated cargo services under the Copa Cargo brand, leveraging belly hold capacity on its passenger flights to transport freight throughout its network.

The roots of Copa Holdings trace back to 1947, when Compañía Panameña de Aviación began operations as the flag carrier of Panama.