WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC) Shares Climb 8.5% – Here’s What Happened

WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC) shares traded up 8.5% on Thursday. The stock traded as high as $209.47 and last traded at $208.97. Approximately 161,268 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 1% from the average session volume of 162,849 shares. The stock had previously closed at $192.56.

More WD-40 News

Here are the key news stories impacting WD-40 this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 net sales rose 11% to $688 million, or 7% on a constant-currency basis, demonstrating continued demand for WD-40’s products. WD-40: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Fourth-quarter revenue reached $176.8 million, exceeding the roughly $172.1 million analyst estimate and increasing 8.1% year over year. The sales beat likely helped support the stock. WD-40 Q4 Revenue Earnings Flash
• Positive Sentiment: Management indicated that margins are positioned for recovery and provided fiscal 2027 earnings guidance, giving investors greater visibility into the next phase of growth. WD-40 Fiscal 2027 Earnings Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: WD-40’s transition of Japan to a direct market in fiscal 2026 could provide greater control over distribution and future growth, although it may require near-term investment. WD-40 Long-Term Investor Takeaways
• Neutral Sentiment: The company reported an update on its previously announced equity buyback plan. The update may support shareholder returns, but the supplied information does not specify the repurchase amount or timing. WD-40 Equity Buyback Plan Update
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter adjusted EPS was $1.06, below estimates of approximately $1.11–$1.13 and down from $1.56 a year earlier. The earnings miss and lower profitability could limit further upside if margin improvement takes longer than expected. WD-40 Q4 Earnings Miss

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WDFC. Zacks Research downgraded shares of WD-40 from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Weiss Ratings cut WD-40 from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on WD-40 from $270.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of WD-40 to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of WD-40 in a research report on Friday, July 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $305.00.

WD-40 Trading Up 9.2%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.95 and a current ratio of 2.65. The stock has a market cap of $2.82 billion, a PE ratio of 31.94 and a beta of 0.27. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $205.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $216.84.

WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.13 by ($0.07). WD-40 had a return on equity of 33.53% and a net margin of 13.23%. The firm had revenue of $176.78 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $172.07 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.56 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that WD-40 Company will post 6.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WD-40 Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 19th will be paid a $1.02 dividend. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 19th. WD-40’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.01%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Patricia Olsem sold 200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.72, for a total transaction of $46,944.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 4,574 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,073,609.28. The trade was a 4.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.78% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WD-40

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vest Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of WD-40 by 6.9% during the third quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 26,733 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $5,399,000 after buying an additional 1,714 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in WD-40 in the third quarter worth about $221,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of WD-40 by 8.5% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,198 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $646,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in WD-40 by 36.2% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,974 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $601,000 after purchasing an additional 790 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of WD-40 by 1,636.6% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 1,162 shares in the last quarter. 91.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About WD-40

WD-40 Company develops and markets maintenance, cleaning and homecare products for consumers, professional tradespeople and industrial users. Its best-known product is WD-40 Multi-Use Product, a spray designed to displace moisture, protect metal, loosen rusted parts and lubricate equipment. The company also offers WD-40 Specialist products for specific maintenance applications and the 3-IN-ONE line of lubricants.

The company’s homecare and cleaning portfolio has included brands such as X-14, 2000 Flushes and Carpet Fresh.