Darling Ingredients (NYSE:DAR) Trading Up 3.5% – Time to Buy?

Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR)’s stock price rose 3.5% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $33.00 and last traded at $32.58. Approximately 645,434 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 2,193,582 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.48.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Darling Ingredients from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Darling Ingredients from $41.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Darling Ingredients from $45.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Darling Ingredients from $37.00 to $34.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Darling Ingredients presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.00.

Darling Ingredients Stock Up 9.1%

The company has a market cap of $5.69 billion, a PE ratio of 20.81 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $33.88.

Darling Ingredients (NYSE:DAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported ($0.16) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by ($0.36). The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.45 billion. Darling Ingredients had a net margin of 4.88% and a return on equity of 6.04%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.50 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Darling Ingredients Inc. will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Darling Ingredients

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its position in Darling Ingredients by 157.1% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 721 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Darling Ingredients by 14.6% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 8,828 shares of the company’s stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 1,126 shares during the last quarter. Palouse Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Darling Ingredients during the fourth quarter worth approximately $86,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its position in Darling Ingredients by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 15,542 shares of the company’s stock worth $570,000 after purchasing an additional 707 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its position in Darling Ingredients by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 6,105 shares of the company’s stock worth $206,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.44% of the company’s stock.

About Darling Ingredients

Darling Ingredients Inc develops, produces, and sells natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients in North America, Europe, China, South America, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Feed Ingredients, Food Ingredients, and Fuel Ingredients. It offers ingredients and customized specialty solutions for customers in the pharmaceutical, food, pet food, feed, industrial, fuel, bioenergy, and fertilizer industries.