Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) Trading 6% Higher – Here’s Why

Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU) shares were up 6% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $212.88 and last traded at $212.4020. Approximately 573,912 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the average daily volume of 1,185,369 shares. The stock had previously closed at $200.35.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LEU has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Centrus Energy from $245.00 to $242.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Centrus Energy in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $357.00 price objective on shares of Centrus Energy in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research cut shares of Centrus Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Centrus Energy in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.83.

Centrus Energy Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 4.83, a current ratio of 5.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $254.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $273.22. The company has a market capitalization of $4.23 billion, a PE ratio of 51.75 and a beta of 1.26.

Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.42 by ($0.63). Centrus Energy had a return on equity of 15.52% and a net margin of 17.34%.The business had revenue of $146.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $145.40 million. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Centrus Energy Corp. will post 2.63 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Centrus Energy

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in Centrus Energy by 5,000.0% during the 4th quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. now owns 102 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Centrus Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Centrus Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Centrus Energy during the third quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Centrus Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 49.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Centrus Energy

Centrus Energy Corp is a U.S.-based supplier of nuclear fuel and enrichment services, specializing in the production of low-enriched uranium (LEU) for commercial power reactors and highly enriched uranium for naval propulsion. Through its Centrus Global subsidiary, the company provides technical support, fuel fabrication services and recycled uranium products to utilities operating light-water reactors. Centrus also develops advanced centrifuge technologies aimed at improving enrichment efficiency and reducing the cost of nuclear fuel.

Originally founded as the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) in 1998 following a spin-out from the U.S.