GATX (NYSE:GATX) Shares Up 3.9% Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

GATX Co. (NYSE:GATX) traded up 3.9% during mid-day trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $163.29 and last traded at $160.50. 14,482 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 89% from the average session volume of 134,203 shares. The stock had previously closed at $154.49.

The transportation company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.25. GATX had a return on equity of 11.98% and a net margin of 17.76%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.74 earnings per share.

GATX Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 13th were given a $0.58 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. This represents a $2.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.45%. GATX’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on GATX shares. Sidoti downgraded shares of GATX from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $158.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of GATX in a report on Monday, November 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $185.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on GATX from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $151.80.

Institutional Trading of GATX

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in GATX by 0.6% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 10,692 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,418,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in GATX by 91.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 163 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its holdings in shares of GATX by 20.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 487 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $65,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC raised its position in shares of GATX by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC now owns 3,907 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $605,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of GATX by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,846 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $385,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. 93.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

GATX Price Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $157.28 and its 200-day moving average is $144.88. The company has a quick ratio of 3.41, a current ratio of 3.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.41. The company has a market capitalization of $5.68 billion, a PE ratio of 21.27 and a beta of 0.99.

GATX Company Profile

GATX Corporation, together its subsidiaries, operates as railcar leasing company in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and India. It operates through three segments: Rail North America, Rail International, and Portfolio Management. The company leases tank and freight railcars, and locomotives for petroleum, chemical, food/agriculture, and transportation industries.