Brookfield Business Partners (NYSE:BBU) Stock Price Down 3.3% – Time to Sell?

Shares of Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE:BBU) were down 3.3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $23.42 and last traded at $23.42. Approximately 2,017 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 9,922 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.23.

Brookfield Business Partners Trading Down 6.8 %

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $23.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $21.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.50.

Brookfield Business Partners (NYSE:BBU) last posted its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The business services provider reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.39. Brookfield Business Partners had a net margin of 11.77% and a return on equity of 30.68%. The firm had revenue of $9.23 billion for the quarter. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.33 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Brookfield Business Partners L.P. will post 5.43 EPS for the current year.

Brookfield Business Partners Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a $0.063 dividend. This is a boost from Brookfield Business Partners’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. Brookfield Business Partners’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.09%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Brookfield Business Partners in the 2nd quarter valued at $307,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Brookfield Business Partners by 2.0% during the second quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 90,242 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,701,000 after purchasing an additional 1,808 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in Brookfield Business Partners by 3.1% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 767,726 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $15,036,000 after purchasing an additional 22,886 shares during the period. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Brookfield Business Partners by 12.7% in the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 681,562 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $12,910,000 after acquiring an additional 77,017 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AYAL Capital Advisors Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Brookfield Business Partners by 97.4% in the second quarter. AYAL Capital Advisors Ltd now owns 45,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $848,000 after acquiring an additional 22,200 shares during the last quarter. 85.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Brookfield Business Partners Company Profile

Brookfield Business Partners L.P. is a private equity firm specializing in acquisition. The firm typically invests in business services, infrastructure services, construction, energy, and industrials sector. It prefers to take majority stake in companies. The firm seeks returns of at least 15% on its investments.