Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) Sets New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as $70.16 and last traded at $70.16, with a volume of 574 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $34.83.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $514.75 million, a PE ratio of 12.98 and a beta of 0.59. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $68.83 and its 200-day moving average is $68.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.21 and a quick ratio of 1.39.

Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 10th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $113.70 million for the quarter. Oil-Dri Co. of America had a net margin of 9.01% and a return on equity of 20.06%.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th were given a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.76%. Oil-Dri Co. of America’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.79%.

Insider Activity

In other Oil-Dri Co. of America news, VP Laura G. Scheland sold 2,500 shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.27, for a total transaction of $173,175.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 15,340 shares in the company, valued at $1,062,601.80. This trade represents a 14.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 11.66% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Oil-Dri Co. of America

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 1.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 278,096 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $20,735,000 after purchasing an additional 3,676 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America in the 1st quarter valued at $245,000. Cardinal Capital Management lifted its stake in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 46,239 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,963,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC now owns 7,453 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $478,000 after acquiring an additional 459 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 19.4% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,871 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $440,000 after acquiring an additional 1,115 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.01% of the company’s stock.

About Oil-Dri Co. of America

Oil-Dri Corporation of America, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets sorbent products in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Retail and Wholesale Products Group, and Business to Business Products Group. The company provides agricultural and horticultural products, including mineral-based absorbent products that serve as carriers for biological and chemical active ingredients, drying agents, and growing media under the Agsorb, Verge, and Flo-Fre brand names.