Ag Growth International (TSE:AFN) Cut to Hold at National Bank Financial

National Bank Financial lowered shares of Ag Growth International (TSE:AFN) from an outperform rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. National Bank Financial currently has C$24.00 price objective on the stock, down from their prior price objective of C$39.00.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Ag Growth International from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating and set a C$52.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Cormark set a C$35.00 target price on shares of Ag Growth International and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Ag Growth International from C$25.00 to C$30.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Desjardins reduced their price objective on shares of Ag Growth International from C$47.00 to C$40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, ATB Cormark Capital Markets set a C$36.00 price objective on Ag Growth International and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ag Growth International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of C$28.75.

Ag Growth International Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of Ag Growth International stock opened at C$17.99 on Wednesday. Ag Growth International has a 1 year low of C$13.60 and a 1 year high of C$44.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 408.06, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.28. The company has a market capitalization of C$339.29 million, a P/E ratio of -12.76, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.52. The company’s fifty day moving average is C$27.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$28.92.

Ag Growth International (TSE:AFN) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 25th. The company reported C($2.62) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Ag Growth International had a negative net margin of 1.86% and a negative return on equity of 9.21%. The company had revenue of C$395.77 million during the quarter. Analysts forecast that Ag Growth International will post 6.5761006 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Steven Robert Sommerfeld acquired 8,000 shares of Ag Growth International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$17.67 per share, for a total transaction of C$141,360.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 8,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately C$141,360. This trade represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. 1.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ag Growth International News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ag Growth International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director insider purchase — Director Steven Robert Sommerfeld bought 8,000 shares at C$17.67 (?C$141k), signaling insider confidence and providing a near-term support signal for the share price.
• Positive Sentiment: TD Securities kept a Buy rating despite lowering its target to C$22, leaving a meaningful upside case that may limit downside. BayStreet Article
• Positive Sentiment: ATB Cormark coverage mentioned as a Buy in The Globe and Mail, which can attract investors who follow that call. Globe & Mail: ATB Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher-than-average trading volume and intraday uptick suggest active repositioning: volume ~247k vs avg ~149k, and the stock remains well below its 50- and 200-day averages, indicating continued investor caution.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and price-target cuts — Multiple firms reduced ratings/targets (Raymond James to Hold; National Bank and others lowered ratings/targets), which increases selling pressure and signals weaker near-term sentiment. Raymond James Downgrade National Bank Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Major target cuts from Canadian banks — CIBC cut its target from C$32 to C$18 (now ~flat to current levels), and others trimmed targets significantly, which constrains upside expectations and may weigh on sentiment. BayStreet: Targets Lowered
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary highlights the stock among small-caps that ‘sank’ today, reflecting short-term selling momentum and headline-driven pressure. Globe & Mail: Small Caps

About Ag Growth International

Ag Growth International Inc manufactures portable and stationary grain handling, storage, and conditioning equipment, including augers, belt conveyors, grain storage bins, grain handling accessories, grain aeration equipment, and grain drying systems. The company operates mainly in Portable handling, permanent handling, storage and conditioning, livestock, and manufacturing sectors. Some of its brands are batco, wheatheart, westfield, storm, rem, hi roller, union iron, hsi, tramco, ptm, vis, nuvision, twister, grain guard, airlanco, westeel, frame, and entringer.