Chia Yuan Wang Sells 40,000 Shares of Gerdau (NYSE:GGB) Stock

Gerdau S.A. (NYSE:GGB - Get Free Report) insider Chia Yuan Wang sold 40,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.75, for a total transaction of $190,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 32,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $152,926.25. This represents a 55.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Chia Yuan Wang also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, April 30th, Chia Yuan Wang sold 20,000 shares of Gerdau stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.54, for a total transaction of $90,800.00.
• On Tuesday, April 28th, Chia Yuan Wang sold 76,700 shares of Gerdau stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.49, for a total transaction of $344,383.00.
• On Friday, April 10th, Chia Yuan Wang sold 25,000 shares of Gerdau stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.21, for a total transaction of $105,250.00.
• On Wednesday, April 8th, Chia Yuan Wang sold 34,000 shares of Gerdau stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.00, for a total transaction of $136,000.00.

Gerdau Stock Down 3.5%

Gerdau stock opened at $4.76 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $3.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 2.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market cap of $9.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.72 and a beta of 1.51. Gerdau S.A. has a twelve month low of $2.55 and a twelve month high of $4.98.

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Gerdau (NYSE:GGB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.15 by ($0.05). Gerdau had a return on equity of 6.76% and a net margin of 2.40%.The firm had revenue of $3.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.36 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Gerdau S.A. will post 0.51 EPS for the current year.

Gerdau Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.0361 dividend. This is a boost from Gerdau's previous quarterly dividend of $0.02. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $0.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Gerdau's dividend payout ratio is presently 37.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on GGB shares. Scotiabank upgraded Gerdau from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Gerdau from $5.00 to $5.50 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Itau BBA Securities raised shares of Gerdau from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $4.60 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Gerdau in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $5.25 price objective (up from $4.60) on shares of Gerdau in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $5.12.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Gerdau

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gerdau

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BSW Wealth Partners grew its holdings in shares of Gerdau by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. BSW Wealth Partners now owns 53,697 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $198,000 after purchasing an additional 2,428 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Gerdau by 11.0% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 26,397 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $97,000 after purchasing an additional 2,607 shares during the period. Xponance LLC raised its stake in Gerdau by 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Xponance LLC now owns 20,570 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 2,845 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Gerdau by 11.9% in the first quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 30,100 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $109,000 after purchasing an additional 3,196 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Xponance Inc. lifted its position in Gerdau by 22.3% during the third quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 17,725 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 3,230 shares during the period. 1.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Gerdau

(Get Free Report)

Gerdau SA is a Brazilian-based steel producer engaged in the manufacture and distribution of long steel products for the construction, industrial and agricultural sectors. Established in 1901, the company operates an integrated network of electric-arc furnaces and rolling mills, producing reinforcement bars, wire rod, merchant bars and structural shapes. Gerdau's product portfolio also includes specialty long steel, high-yield reinforcement, rail, beams and steel coils, as well as value-added processing services such as cutting, bending and coating.

The company has expanded its footprint beyond Brazil, with significant operations in North America, South America and a presence in select European markets.

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