H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Issues Earnings Results

H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.04, Zacks reports. H. B. Fuller had a net margin of 3.28% and a return on equity of 11.49%.

H. B. Fuller Trading Down 2.2%

NYSE FUL traded down $1.47 on Wednesday, reaching $64.83. The company had a trading volume of 1,055,777 shares, compared to its average volume of 494,347. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market cap of $3.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.04, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.10. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $59.39 and its 200-day moving average is $59.66. H. B. Fuller has a 52 week low of $47.56 and a 52 week high of $67.05.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on FUL shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of H. B. Fuller in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of H. B. Fuller from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 26th. Citigroup upgraded shares of H. B. Fuller from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $62.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered H. B. Fuller from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on H. B. Fuller in a report on Friday, November 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $60.00 price target for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, H. B. Fuller currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $66.20.

Insider Activity

In other H. B. Fuller news, VP Nathan D. Weaver sold 7,075 shares of H. B. Fuller stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.38, for a total value of $413,038.50. Following the sale, the vice president owned 9,441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $551,165.58. This trade represents a 42.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO John J. Corkrean sold 14,222 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.31, for a total value of $857,728.82. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 54,646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,295,700.26. The trade was a 20.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.99% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On H. B. Fuller

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FUL. UBS Group AG lifted its position in shares of H. B. Fuller by 200.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 820,871 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $48,661,000 after buying an additional 548,017 shares during the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of H. B. Fuller in the third quarter worth about $12,494,000. Woodline Partners LP bought a new position in shares of H. B. Fuller in the third quarter worth about $12,258,000. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of H. B. Fuller by 128.0% in the 2nd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 217,307 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $13,071,000 after purchasing an additional 122,007 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of H. B. Fuller during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $7,279,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.93% of the company’s stock.

About H. B. Fuller

H. B. Fuller Company, founded in 1887 and headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a global adhesives and specialty chemical solutions provider serving a wide array of industries. The company develops, manufactures and markets adhesive technologies, sealants, polymers and related chemical products designed to enhance product performance, sustainability and manufacturing efficiency.

Fuller’s product portfolio spans multiple market segments, including packaging and converting, general industrial assembly, electronics, transportation, hygiene and construction.