CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Strong-Buy” Rating

CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of CPI Card Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of CPI Card Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of CPI Card Group in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reduced their price objective on CPI Card Group from $34.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.25.

CPI Card Group Trading Down 11.8%

Shares of PMTS stock opened at $15.52 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $176.77 million, a P/E ratio of 12.42 and a beta of 1.22. CPI Card Group has a 1 year low of $10.81 and a 1 year high of $31.85. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $13.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.46.

CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $153.05 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $145.22 million. CPI Card Group had a net margin of 2.75% and a negative return on equity of 71.26%. Equities research analysts anticipate that CPI Card Group will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in CPI Card Group by 75.0% in the 3rd quarter. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC now owns 391,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,925,000 after buying an additional 167,764 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its position in shares of CPI Card Group by 56.3% during the second quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 357,754 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,486,000 after acquiring an additional 128,808 shares during the last quarter. Vector Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of CPI Card Group by 18.6% during the third quarter. Vector Capital Management L.P. now owns 459,314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,954,000 after acquiring an additional 71,891 shares during the period. Pembroke Management LTD boosted its holdings in CPI Card Group by 87.9% in the third quarter. Pembroke Management LTD now owns 99,567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,507,000 after acquiring an additional 46,575 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aristeia Capital L.L.C. bought a new position in CPI Card Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $597,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 22.08% of the company’s stock.

CPI Card Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CPI Card Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat / topline strength: Q4 revenue came in around $153.1M, above consensus estimates (~$145.2M), showing demand resilience. Investors view the revenue beat as a positive sign for the business. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic update with growth targets: Management outlined a new segment strategy and is targeting over 15% growth in its Integrated Paytech segment as it pushes digital initiatives — a clear growth narrative that could support longer-term revenue expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings / call transcripts available: Multiple transcripts and the slide deck are posted for investors to review management commentary and guidance in detail. (See the Q4 earnings transcript and conference materials.) Read More. | Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears anomalous: Reports flag a “large increase” in short interest for early March, but the published figures show 0 shares / NaN increases — this looks like a reporting error rather than a clear signal of rising short selling. (Treat the short-interest item with caution.)
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed / confusing EPS headlines and profitability metrics: Coverage shows mixed takes on EPS (reports cite roughly $0.62 to $0.77), producing some confusion about whether the quarter was a clean beat. Meanwhile net margin (~2.8%) and a negative return on equity (around -59%) underscore weak profitability; that likely weighed on sentiment despite revenue strength. Read More. | Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy selling / volume spike: Trading volume was well above average, and the stock declined — a sign some investors sold into the quarter, likely reacting to the mixed EPS take, weak margins/ROE, and near-term uncertainty despite the strategic plan. Read More.

CPI Card Group Company Profile

CPI Card Group, Inc (NASDAQ: PMTS) is a leading provider of payment, identification and related credential solutions for financial institutions, governments and private enterprises. The company specializes in the design, manufacturing and personalization of secure plastic and metal cards, including EMV chip, magnetic-stripe and contactless cards. CPI Card Group also offers digital credentialing services and cloud-based card management tools that enable real-time controls, mobile wallet integration, fraud monitoring and analytics.

With a focus on security and innovation, CPI Card Group integrates advanced features such as holograms, microprinting, RFID/NFC technology and laser-engraved artwork into its card products.