H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Downgraded to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Monday.

H.B. Fuller Stock Performance

Shares of FUL opened at $79.25 on Monday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $81.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $79.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. H.B. Fuller has a 52 week low of $64.64 and a 52 week high of $87.67. The stock has a market cap of $4.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.05, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.42.

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $917.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $914.22 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.93 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that H.B. Fuller will post 4.4 EPS for the current year.

H.B. Fuller Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st were issued a dividend of $0.2225 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 31st. This is a boost from H.B. Fuller’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.12%. H.B. Fuller’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.38%.

Insider Transactions at H.B. Fuller

In related news, VP Heather Campe sold 23,696 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.66, for a total value of $1,958,711.36. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,631,873.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, 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

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FUL. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new position in shares of H.B. Fuller during the 1st quarter valued at about $79,000. Security National Bank of SO Dak purchased a new position in H.B. Fuller during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $236,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC bought a new stake in H.B. Fuller in the 4th quarter worth approximately $738,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased 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 acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of H.B. Fuller by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 45,152 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $3,600,000 after acquiring an additional 4,077 shares during the last quarter. 95.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About H.B. Fuller

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.