National Beverage Corp. $FIZZ Shares Sold by Renaissance Technologies LLC

Renaissance Technologies LLC cut its holdings in shares of National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:FIZZ) by 7.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,945,897 shares of the company’s stock after selling 230,200 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC’s holdings in National Beverage were worth $99,129,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of National Beverage by 958.8% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 900 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 815 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of National Beverage by 72.5% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,018 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Beverage in the third quarter valued at $39,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its stake in shares of National Beverage by 213.5% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 726 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd boosted its holdings in National Beverage by 156.6% in the fourth quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 1,111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 23.95% of the company’s stock.

National Beverage Stock Up 0.6%

NASDAQ FIZZ opened at $30.70 on Friday. National Beverage Corp. has a 52 week low of $30.01 and a 52 week high of $47.47. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $34.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.87 billion, a PE ratio of 15.66 and a beta of 0.79.

National Beverage (NASDAQ:FIZZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 1st. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $297.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $294.81 million. National Beverage had a net margin of 15.56% and a return on equity of 32.20%.

National Beverage Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Investors of record on Monday, July 13th will be issued a $3.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 13th.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on FIZZ. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of National Beverage in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $33.00 price target (down from $35.00) on shares of National Beverage in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Sell” and an average target price of $33.00.

National Beverage Profile

National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: FIZZ) is a U.S.-based beverage company specializing in the development, marketing and production of nonalcoholic refreshment products. The company’s portfolio includes a range of sparkling waters, soft drinks and energy beverages designed for a variety of consumer tastes and dietary preferences. Through in-house bottling operations and strategic partnerships with co-packers, National Beverage manages production from flavor formulation to final packaging and distribution.

Founded in 1985, National Beverage has broadened its product lineup over the decades through both organic brand introductions and selective acquisitions.