Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) Upgraded to “Sell” at StockNews.com

Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday.

Separately, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Compass Minerals International in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $31.00.

Compass Minerals International Stock Performance

Shares of CMP stock traded down $0.29 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $10.86. 1,821,943 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 778,224. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a current ratio of 2.98 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The company’s 50 day moving average is $10.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.70. The company has a market cap of $448.89 million, a P/E ratio of -5.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.10. Compass Minerals International has a 1 year low of $7.51 and a 1 year high of $28.70.

Institutional Trading of Compass Minerals International

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CMP. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Compass Minerals International by 3.6% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,579,361 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $72,079,000 after purchasing an additional 160,632 shares during the last quarter. Morningstar Investment Services LLC grew its holdings in Compass Minerals International by 89.2% during the 4th quarter. Morningstar Investment Services LLC now owns 1,352,718 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,333,000 after buying an additional 637,883 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Compass Minerals International by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,246,855 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,572,000 after buying an additional 172,018 shares in the last quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC raised its holdings in shares of Compass Minerals International by 0.3% in the second quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 860,796 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $8,892,000 after acquiring an additional 2,167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Compass Minerals International by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 549,492 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $13,913,000 after acquiring an additional 34,193 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.78% of the company’s stock.

About Compass Minerals International

Compass Minerals International, Inc, provides essential minerals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Salt and Plant Nutrition. The Salt segment produces, markets, and sells sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, including rock salt, mechanically and solar evaporated salt, and brine and flake magnesium chloride products; and purchases potassium chloride and calcium chloride to sell as finished products or to blend with sodium chloride to produce specialty products.