H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Stock: Insider Celine Christine Martin Buys 465 Shares

H. B. Fuller Company (NYSE:FUL) Director Celine Martin bought 465 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $49.50 per share, for a total transaction of $23,017.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 465 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,017.50. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

H. B. Fuller Price Performance

Shares of FUL traded up $0.69 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $50.16. The company had a trading volume of 631,924 shares, compared to its average volume of 677,302. The company has a current ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. H. B. Fuller Company has a 12-month low of $46.70 and a 12-month high of $68.63. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $55.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $58.21. The company has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.97, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.97.

H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.05. H. B. Fuller had a net margin of 5.56% and a return on equity of 12.65%. The firm had revenue of $938.17 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $945.59 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.26 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that H. B. Fuller Company will post 4.83 earnings per share for the current year.

H. B. Fuller Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 30th were paid a dividend of $0.2450 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 30th. This represents a $0.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. H. B. Fuller’s payout ratio is 27.30%.

Key H. B. Fuller News

Here are the key news stories impacting H. B. Fuller this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ancora increased its cash offer for H. B. Fuller’s building adhesives unit to as much as $1.4 billion. The higher bid, reportedly backed by Fortress, improves the prospects for a value-enhancing transaction and increases pressure on H. B. Fuller’s board to consider strategic alternatives. Ancora raises bid for H.B. Fuller building unit
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple directors made sizable open-market purchases. Directors Srilata Zaheer, Charles T. Lauber, Teresa Rasmussen, Daniel L. Florness and Thomas W. Handley collectively bought approximately $500,000 of FUL shares at prices ranging from $48.96 to $49.87. The purchases substantially increased their individual holdings and may signal confidence that the shares are undervalued. H. B. Fuller insider purchase filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results were mixed but fundamentally supportive. H. B. Fuller reported adjusted earnings of $1.52 per share, above the $1.47 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 5.2% year over year to about $938 million but fell short of expectations. Analysts expect approximately $4.83 in full-year earnings per share.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains a counterweight. JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank have issued cautious or pessimistic outlooks for FUL, reflecting concerns about valuation and the company’s operating outlook. Such views could limit gains if the potential asset sale does not progress. Deutsche Bank forecast for H. B. Fuller

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FUL has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group set a $69.00 price objective on H. B. Fuller in a report on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings lowered H. B. Fuller from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on H. B. Fuller from $67.00 to $66.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research downgraded H. B. Fuller from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on H. B. Fuller from $72.00 to $62.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, H. B. Fuller presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.62.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of H. B. Fuller by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,006 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $160,854,000 after purchasing an additional 132,558 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in H. B. Fuller during the 4th quarter valued at $44,203,000. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in H. B. Fuller by 2,694.7% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 675,765 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $41,681,000 after buying an additional 651,585 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of H. B. Fuller by 43.4% in the fourth quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 630,194 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $37,471,000 after acquiring an additional 190,750 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of H. B. Fuller by 36.3% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 513,163 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $31,652,000 after acquiring an additional 136,666 shares in the last quarter. 95.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About H. B. Fuller

H.B. Fuller Company is a global manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and specialty chemical products. Its solutions are used to bond, seal, protect and assemble materials in commercial and industrial applications, including packaging, hygiene products, construction, transportation, electronics and durable goods.

The company offers products such as hot-melt, water-based and reactive adhesives, construction adhesives, sealants, coatings and specialty formulations. H.B. Fuller serves manufacturers, contractors and other commercial customers that require bonding and sealing solutions for products, components and building materials.

Founded in 1887 by Harvey Benjamin Fuller, the company has grown from a regional adhesive producer into an international supplier serving customers across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.