Liquidity Services (NASDAQ:LQDT) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Shares of Liquidity Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:LQDT) saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday. Approximately 349,144 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 81% from the average daily volume of 193,049 shares. The stock last traded at $44.74 and had previously closed at $44.72.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Liquidity Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Liquidity Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, August 16th. Zacks Research cut Liquidity Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Barrington Research set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Liquidity Services in a report on Friday, August 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.00.

Liquidity Services Stock Down 0.8%

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $43.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $37.20. The firm has a market cap of $1.39 billion, a PE ratio of 43.51 and a beta of 1.06.

Liquidity Services (NASDAQ:LQDT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $129.58 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $57.83 million. Liquidity Services had a net margin of 6.79% and a return on equity of 17.60%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Liquidity Services, Inc. will post 1.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP John Daunt sold 715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.75, for a total transaction of $30,566.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 38,086 shares in the company, valued at $1,628,176.50. This trade represents a 1.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 28.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. R Squared Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Liquidity Services by 5.6% in the third quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 8,728 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $374,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System purchased a new stake in Liquidity Services during the 3rd quarter worth about $228,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its holdings in Liquidity Services by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 12,196 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $522,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Liquidity Services during the 3rd quarter valued at about $577,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Liquidity Services in the 3rd quarter worth $139,000. 71.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Liquidity Services Company Profile

Liquidity Services, Inc operates online marketplaces and related services for buying and selling surplus, returned, and otherwise excess assets. The company connects governments, businesses, and other organizations with buyers seeking products ranging from consumer goods and industrial equipment to vehicles, heavy machinery, and other capital assets.

Its platforms include GovDeals, which serves public-sector sellers; Liquidation.com, which facilitates the sale of surplus and returned inventory; and Machinio, a marketplace focused on used equipment.