Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at StockNews.com

Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Price Performance

Shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America stock opened at $41.11 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $600.00 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.64 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 2.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $26.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $19.97. Oil-Dri Co. of America has a one year low of $29.47 and a one year high of $46.50.

Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) last announced its earnings results on Monday, December 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter. Oil-Dri Co. of America had a return on equity of 21.84% and a net margin of 9.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Laura G. Scheland sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.32, for a total transaction of $173,175.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 61,360 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,062,601.80. This trade represents a 14.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 11.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oil-Dri Co. of America

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ODC. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 81.6% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 445 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,401 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $166,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in Oil-Dri Co. of America during the 3rd quarter valued at $216,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its position in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 30.2% during the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 4,253 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 986 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 40.8% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 4,772 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 1,383 shares in the last quarter. 49.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.