Weekly CEO Sells Highlight: GTT Communications, Automatic Data Processing, Acuity Brands

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Jul 18, 2016
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According to GuruFocus Insider Data, these are the largest CEO sales during the past week: GTT Communications Inc., Automatic Data Processing Inc. and Acuity Brands Inc.

GTT Communications Inc. (GTT, Financial): President and CEO Richard Calder Sold 80,000 Shares

Calder sold 80,000 shares on July 12 at an average price of $20.04. GTT Communications has a market cap of $752.05 million; its shares were traded around $20.24 with a P/E ratio of 44.97 and P/S ratio of 1.68. GTT Communications had an annual average earnings growth of 32.7% over the past five years.

GTT Communications' stock price has significantly grown over the past five years.

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GTT Communications faces competition from local and competitive exchange carriers, internet service providers and other facilities-based operators.

GuruFocus has found three severe warnings signs for GTT:

  1. Sloan Ratio of 51.88%.

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2. Long-term debt.

3. Faster asset growth than revenue growth.

GTT Communications recognized revenue of $124.4 million and net earnings of $0.9 million for its 2016 first financial quarter. This is compared with last year’s revenue of $62.4 million and net earnings of $1.1 million.

General Counsel and EVP Chris Mckee sold 56,000 shares of GTT stock on July 12 at the average price of $20.05.

Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP, Financial): President and CEO Carlos A. Rodriguez sold 67,064 Shares

Rodriguez sold 67,064 shares on July 11 at an average price of $95. Automatic Data Processing has a market cap of $43.22 billion; its shares were traded around $94.88 with a P/E ratio of 28.32 and P/S ratio of 3.88. The trailing 12-month dividend yield of Automatic Data Processing stock is 2.18%. The forward dividend yield of Automatic Data Processing stock is 2.23%. Automatic Data Processing had an annual average earnings growth of 4.3% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated Automatic Data Processing the business predictability rank of 4.5-star.

Automatic Data Processing's stock price has more than doubled over the last five years.

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Automatic Data Processing faces competition with other outsourcing business, companies providing enterprise planning services, software companies and financial institutions.

GuruFocus has found two severe warning signs for ADP:

  1. Declining gross margin.

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  1. Declining operating margin.

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Automatic Data Processing reported its 2016 third fiscal quarter results. The company declared that net sales increased by 7% to 3.2 billion and that net income increase from last year’s $489.6 million to $532.5 million.

Corporate Vice President Jan Siegmund, Corporate Vice President Brock Albinson, Corporate Vice President Michael C. Eberhard and Corporate Vice President Maria Black sold 8,937 shares of ADP stock all together in July.

Acuity Brands Inc. (AYI, Financial): Chairman, President and CEO Vernon J. Nagel sold 65,060 Shares

Nagel sold 65,060 shares on July 11 at an average price of $268.3. Acuity Brands has a market cap of $11.59 billion; its shares were traded around $264.13 with a P/E ratio of 43.15 and P/S ratio of 3.68. The trailing 12-month dividend yield of Acuity Brands stock is 0.20%. The forward dividend yield of Acuity Brands stock is 0.2%. Acuity Brands had an annual average earnings growth of 6.0% over the past 10 years.

Acuity Brands' stock price has significantly increased over the past five years.

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Acuity Brands faces competition from other companies such as Eaton Corp., Hubbell Inc. and Schneider Electric. The company continues to face increased competition from smaller companies and foreign companies alike, which offer solid-state lighting solutions and introduce new technologies.

GuruFocus has not found any severe warning signs for AYI.

Acuity Brands reported its 2016 third fiscal quarter results. The company announced net sales of $851.5 million, a 25 percent increase from last year’s third quarter net sales. Net income was $74.0 million, a 15 percent increase from last year’s third quarter.

Executive Vice President and CFO Richard K. Reece sold 33,430 shares of AYI stock on July 11 at the average price of $269.07. The price of the stock has decreased by 1.84% since. Executive Vice President Mark A. Black and Director Ray M. Robinson together sold 3,440 shares of AYI stock in July.

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