YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF) Trading 6.3% Higher – Here’s Why

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF)’s stock price was up 6.3% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $46.02 and last traded at $46.4120. Approximately 981,204 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the average daily volume of 2,048,798 shares. The stock had previously closed at $43.66.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on YPF shares. Morgan Stanley raised shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. Wall Street Zen raised YPF Sociedad Anónima from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from $37.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, YPF Sociedad Anónima currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.50.

YPF Sociedad Anónima Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.94. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $42.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $38.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.73 billion, a P/E ratio of -46.16 and a beta of 1.21.

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.20. YPF Sociedad Anónima had a positive return on equity of 1.11% and a negative net margin of 2.16%.The business had revenue of $5.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion. On average, sell-side analysts predict that YPF Sociedad Anónima will post 6.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at YPF Sociedad Anónima

In other news, VP Marcelo Gustavo Aldeco sold 12,719 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.61, for a total value of $554,675.59. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 101 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,404.61. This represents a 99.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Mauricio Alejandro Martin sold 3,430 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.60, for a total transaction of $149,548.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 14 shares in the company, valued at $610.40. This represents a 99.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On YPF Sociedad Anónima

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima by 488.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,353 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,123 shares during the period. Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in YPF Sociedad Anónima during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new position in YPF Sociedad Anónima during the fourth quarter worth about $59,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in YPF Sociedad Anónima by 58.8% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,034 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 1,123 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima by 13.7% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 2,598 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $94,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. 10.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About YPF Sociedad Anónima

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE: YPF) is an integrated oil and gas company headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The company’s primary businesses encompass upstream exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, midstream transportation and storage, and downstream refining and distribution. YPF operates several major refineries and a nationwide network of service stations, supplying fuels, lubricants, and petrochemical products to both retail and industrial customers.

Founded in 1922 as Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, YPF was the world’s first state‐owned oil company.