H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

H.B. Fuller Price Performance

NYSE FUL opened at $84.41 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. H.B. Fuller has a 12 month low of $64.64 and a 12 month high of $87.67. The stock has a market cap of $4.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.81, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.44. The company’s 50 day moving average is $80.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.17.

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.09. H.B. Fuller had a net margin of 4.67% and a return on equity of 13.33%. The firm had revenue of $917.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $914.22 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.93 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that H.B. Fuller will post 4.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at H.B. Fuller

In related news, VP Heather Campe sold 23,696 shares of H.B. Fuller stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.66, for a total transaction of $1,958,711.36. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,631,873.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.96% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On H.B. Fuller

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FUL. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its stake in H.B. Fuller by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 11,353 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $924,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in shares of H.B. Fuller in the first quarter worth about $79,000. New York State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in shares of H.B. Fuller by 3.1% in the second quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 88,348 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $6,799,000 after buying an additional 2,694 shares in the last quarter. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new position in H.B. Fuller during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $236,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in H.B. Fuller by 9.9% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 45,152 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $3,600,000 after buying an additional 4,077 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.93% of the company’s stock.

H.B. Fuller Company Profile

H.B. Fuller Company, together with its subsidiaries, formulates, manufactures, and markets adhesives, sealants, coatings, polymers, tapes, encapsulants, additives, and other specialty chemical products. It operates through three segments: Hygiene, Health and Consumable Adhesives; Engineering Adhesives; and Construction Adhesives.