KBR (NYSE:KBR) Shares Down 6.5% – Here’s Why

KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR) was down 6.5% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $64.90 and last traded at $65.44. Approximately 753,467 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 32% from the average daily volume of 1,109,433 shares. The stock had previously closed at $69.97.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on KBR shares. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of KBR from $78.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of KBR from $76.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of KBR from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. TD Cowen downgraded shares of KBR from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $72.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of KBR from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, October 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $81.14.

KBR Stock Down 14.0 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a PE ratio of 27.39, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.89. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $66.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.90.

KBR (NYSE:KBR) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.84. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.95 billion. KBR had a net margin of 4.35% and a return on equity of 28.87%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.75 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that KBR, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KBR Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. KBR’s dividend payout ratio is currently 25.21%.

Insider Activity at KBR

In related news, insider Jalal Ibrahim sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.56, for a total transaction of $2,329,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 106,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,091,968. This trade represents a 24.73 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KBR

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KBR. Pier 88 Investment Partners LLC grew its position in KBR by 25.9% during the third quarter. Pier 88 Investment Partners LLC now owns 50,710 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,303,000 after buying an additional 10,420 shares during the period. Boston Partners raised its stake in KBR by 49.4% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 84,965 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,410,000 after purchasing an additional 28,091 shares in the last quarter. Comerica Bank raised its stake in KBR by 27.5% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 72,580 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,620,000 after purchasing an additional 15,651 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in KBR during the third quarter valued at $1,928,000. Finally, Versor Investments LP purchased a new stake in KBR during the third quarter valued at $1,954,000. 97.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About KBR

KBR, Inc provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. It operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.