H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Short Interest Update

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 930,100 shares, an increase of 20.3% from the August 15th total of 772,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 323,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.9 days.

H.B. Fuller Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE FUL traded up $0.62 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $81.67. 171,971 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 299,514. The company’s fifty day moving average is $81.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.89. H.B. Fuller has a fifty-two week low of $64.64 and a fifty-two week high of $87.67. The stock has a market cap of $4.45 billion, a PE ratio of 27.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.42.

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, June 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.09. H.B. Fuller had a return on equity of 13.33% and a net margin of 4.67%. The firm had revenue of $917.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $914.22 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.93 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that H.B. Fuller will post 4.4 earnings per share for the current year.

H.B. Fuller Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 31st were issued a $0.2225 dividend. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 31st. This is an increase from H.B. Fuller’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. H.B. Fuller’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of H.B. Fuller from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th.

Insider Buying and Selling at H.B. Fuller

In related news, VP Heather Campe sold 23,696 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $1,631,873.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.96% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On H.B. Fuller

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new position in shares of H.B. Fuller during the first quarter worth approximately $79,000. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new stake in H.B. Fuller in the 4th quarter valued at $236,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new stake in H.B. Fuller in the 4th quarter worth $738,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of H.B. Fuller by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 11,353 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $924,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of H.B. Fuller by 9.9% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 45,152 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $3,600,000 after buying an additional 4,077 shares during the last quarter. 95.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

H.B. Fuller Company Profile

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.