Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) Stock Jumps 10.8% – Still a Buy?

Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE:ASPN) shares were up 10.8% during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The stock traded as high as $6.39 and last traded at $6.3360. 695,809 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 51% from the average daily volume of 1,409,184 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.72.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on ASPN. Barclays upped their price target on Aspen Aerogels from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aspen Aerogels in a report on Monday, September 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Aspen Aerogels from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 31st. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of Aspen Aerogels in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Roth Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $7.75 target price on shares of Aspen Aerogels in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $6.25.

Aspen Aerogels Trading Down 5.9%

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $5.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $4.75. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The construction company reported $0.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.09) by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $85.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.07 million. Aspen Aerogels had a negative net margin of 60.81% and a negative return on equity of 28.86%. Research analysts forecast that Aspen Aerogels, Inc. will post -0.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aspen Aerogels

In other news, major shareholder Wood River Capital, Llc sold 12,280,426 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.73, for a total value of $58,086,414.98. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.96% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Aspen Aerogels

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ASPN. AIGH Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Aspen Aerogels during the third quarter worth $39,183,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Aspen Aerogels during the second quarter valued at $33,457,000. Oaktop Capital Management II L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Aspen Aerogels in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,769,000. George Kaiser Family Foundation acquired a new stake in shares of Aspen Aerogels in the 2nd quarter valued at $20,081,000. Finally, Rice Hall James & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aspen Aerogels in the 2nd quarter valued at $10,368,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.64% of the company’s stock.

Aspen Aerogels Company Profile

Aspen Aerogels is a materials technology company that develops and manufactures insulation products based on silica aerogel, a lightweight material known for its insulating properties. Founded in 2001, the company is headquartered in Northborough, Massachusetts. Its products include Pyrogel and Cryogel insulation for industrial and energy applications, Spaceloft insulation for buildings, and PyroThin thermal barriers designed to help manage heat in electric vehicle battery systems. These materials are used in areas such as energy infrastructure, building efficiency, and transportation.