Holocene Advisors LP Sells 329,069 Shares of Post Holdings, Inc. $POST

Holocene Advisors LP decreased its position in Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST) by 22.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,148,277 shares of the company’s stock after selling 329,069 shares during the quarter. Holocene Advisors LP’s holdings in Post were worth $123,417,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in POST. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Post by 119.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 248 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Post by 50.0% during the third quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 375 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Post by 332.0% during the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 432 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Post by 39.0% in the second quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 570 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of Post in the second quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.85% of the company’s stock.

Post Stock Performance

Shares of Post stock opened at $98.37 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $103.88. Post Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.07 and a fifty-two week high of $119.85. The firm has a market cap of $4.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.18 and a beta of 0.43.

Post (NYSE:POST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.18 billion. Post had a return on equity of 12.37% and a net margin of 3.82%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.73 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Post Holdings, Inc. will post 6.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gregory L. Curl sold 6,983 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.31, for a total value of $798,226.73. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,293 shares in the company, valued at $2,434,002.83. This trade represents a 24.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 14.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Evercore decreased their price target on Post from $131.00 to $129.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Post from $108.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research raised Post from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Post from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on Post from $122.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Post currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $129.67.

Post News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Post this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Post reported a notable Q4 earnings beat (reported Feb. 5), with EPS above consensus and revenue up ~10% year-over?year — a clear near?term fundamental catalyst supporting the stock. Post Holdings recent profile & earnings summary
• Neutral Sentiment: The company priced $600 million of additional 6.250% senior notes on March 13. The move supplies capital but changes the company’s debt profile; near?term market reaction will depend on the stated use of proceeds (refinancing, M&A, or general corporate purposes) and whether it materially improves liquidity or simply increases leverage. Post Holdings Prices Additional $600 Million Senior Notes
• Negative Sentiment: At a 6.25% coupon, the new notes raise interest expense and push leverage higher from an already elevated debt-to-equity position (Post’s reported D/E ~2.15). If proceeds aren’t used to lower overall funding costs or fund accretive growth, the higher fixed?rate obligations could pressure margins and cash flow available for buybacks/dividends. Post Holdings Notes announcement

Post Profile

Post Holdings, Inc is a consumer packaged goods company that operates as a holding company for a diverse portfolio of food and beverage brands. The company’s principal activities include the production, marketing and distribution of ready-to-eat cereal, refrigerated and frozen foods, and nutritional beverages. Through its operating segments—Post Consumer Brands, Foodservice, Refrigerated Side Dishes & Bakery, and Active Nutrition—Post Holdings delivers a broad array of products to retail grocers, convenience stores, foodservice operators and e-commerce channels.

The Post Consumer Brands segment features a variety of hot and cold cereals under names such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Shredded Wheat and Pebbles.