HOSTESS BRANDS (NASDAQ:TWNK) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.01 EPS

HOSTESS BRANDS (NASDAQ:TWNK) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.01, Morningstar.com reports. The firm had revenue of $203.18 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $205.41 million. HOSTESS BRANDS updated its FY17 guidance to $0.58 EPS.

Shares of HOSTESS BRANDS (NASDAQ:TWNK) opened at 13.86 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $15.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $15.75. HOSTESS BRANDS has a 12-month low of $10.48 and a 12-month high of $17.18. The firm’s market cap is $1.39 billion.

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TWNK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded HOSTESS BRANDS from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank AG set a $19.00 price target on HOSTESS BRANDS and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 10th. Stephens initiated coverage on HOSTESS BRANDS in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock. BidaskClub upgraded HOSTESS BRANDS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 9th. Finally, UBS AG initiated coverage on HOSTESS BRANDS in a research note on Monday, July 31st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. HOSTESS BRANDS has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $17.83.

In other news, insider Cdm Hostess Class C, Llc sold 330,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.44, for a total value of $5,425,200.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 195,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,205,800. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider William Douglas Toler purchased 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $15.85 per share, for a total transaction of $792,500.00. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 485,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,687,250. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 25.50% of the company’s stock.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its position in HOSTESS BRANDS by 0.8% in the second quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 255,637 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,115,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. First Personal Financial Services boosted its position in HOSTESS BRANDS by 76.7% in the second quarter. First Personal Financial Services now owns 11,760 shares of the company’s stock worth $189,000 after buying an additional 5,103 shares in the last quarter. Credit Suisse AG boosted its position in HOSTESS BRANDS by 37.5% in the first quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 27,504 shares of the company’s stock worth $437,000 after buying an additional 7,502 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA boosted its position in HOSTESS BRANDS by 896.1% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 9,881 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,000 after buying an additional 8,889 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Mercantile Trust Co. purchased a new position in HOSTESS BRANDS during the first quarter worth approximately $141,000. 89.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

HOSTESS BRANDS Company Profile

Hostess Brands, Inc, a packaged food company, focuses on developing, manufacturing, marketing, selling, and distributing fresh sweet baked goods in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Sweet Baked Goods and Other. Its principal product lines include Twinkies, Zingers, Donettes, coffee cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, Ding Dongs, honey buns, fruit pies, Sno Balls, mini muffins, Chocodiles, Ho Hos, brownies, Suzy Qs, bread and buns, danishes, jumbo muffins, iced cookies, eclairs, and madeleines.