H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Tuesday morning.

Separately, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of H.B. Fuller from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $92.75.

H.B. Fuller Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:FUL opened at $83.81 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.57 billion, a PE ratio of 28.60, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.44. 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 1-year low of $64.64 and a 1-year high of $86.92. The business’s 50 day moving average is $79.22 and its 200-day moving average is $78.41.

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.12 earnings per share 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $914.22 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.93 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that H.B. Fuller will post 4.4 earnings per share for the current year.

H.B. Fuller Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.2225 per share. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. This is a boost from H.B. Fuller’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 31st. H.B. Fuller’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.38%.

Insider Transactions at H.B. Fuller

In related news, VP Heather Campe sold 23,696 shares of the 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 directly owns 19,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,631,873.72. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Zhiwei Cai sold 4,645 shares of H.B. Fuller stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.15, for a total value of $349,071.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 30,663 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,304,324.45. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Heather Campe sold 23,696 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 19,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,631,873.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.96% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On H.B. Fuller

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in shares of H.B. Fuller in the first quarter valued at approximately $79,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC bought a new position in H.B. Fuller in the 4th quarter valued at $134,000. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new position in H.B. Fuller in the 4th quarter valued at $236,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new stake in shares of H.B. Fuller in the 4th quarter valued at $738,000. Finally, Wesbanco Bank Inc. bought a new stake in shares of H.B. Fuller during the first quarter worth $773,000. 95.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.