H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Shares Gap Down on Disappointing Earnings

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) gapped down prior to trading on Thursday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $80.63, but opened at $76.20. H.B. Fuller shares last traded at $79.21, with a volume of 114,960 shares trading hands.

The specialty chemicals company reported $1.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.23 by ($0.10). H.B. Fuller had a net margin of 4.67% and a return on equity of 13.33%. The business had revenue of $917.93 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $944.04 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.06 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis.

H.B. Fuller Increases Dividend

The company 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. This is a positive change from H.B. Fuller’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 31st. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.12%. H.B. Fuller’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded H.B. Fuller from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th.

Insider Activity

In other H.B. Fuller news, VP Heather Campe sold 23,696 shares of H.B. Fuller stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.66, for a total transaction of $1,958,711.36. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,631,873.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.96% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On H.B. Fuller

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in FUL. Partners Capital Investment Group LLP bought a new position in shares of H.B. Fuller during the fourth quarter valued at $5,598,000. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado lifted its position in H.B. Fuller by 2,588.7% during the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 335,119 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $27,282,000 after purchasing an additional 322,655 shares during the period. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new stake in H.B. Fuller in the 4th quarter worth approximately $236,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its stake in H.B. Fuller by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 11,353 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $924,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 4,077 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.93% of the company’s stock.

H.B. Fuller Stock Down 1.7 %

The company has a market cap of $4.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The company has a fifty day moving average of $81.79 and a 200 day moving average of $79.58.

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.