Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Monday.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Stock Performance

NYSE:ODC opened at $42.23 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 2.63. Oil-Dri Co. of America has a fifty-two week low of $29.47 and a fifty-two week high of $46.50. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $24.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $19.40. The company has a market capitalization of $616.35 million, a PE ratio of 6.82 and a beta of 0.53.

Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter. Oil-Dri Co. of America had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 21.84%.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a $0.155 dividend. This represents a $0.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.47%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. Oil-Dri Co. of America’s dividend payout ratio is 20.00%.

Insider Activity at Oil-Dri Co. of America

In related news, VP Laura G. Scheland sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.32, for a total transaction of $173,175.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 61,360 shares in the company, valued at $1,062,601.80. The trade was a 14.01 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 11.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oil-Dri Co. of America

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ODC. FMR LLC raised its stake in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 81.6% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 445 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 12.6% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,401 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $166,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America during the third quarter worth approximately $216,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 30.2% in the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 4,253 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $293,000 after purchasing an additional 986 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its stake in Oil-Dri Co. of America by 40.8% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 4,772 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 1,383 shares in the last quarter. 49.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Company Profile

Oil-Dri Corporation of America, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets sorbent products in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Retail and Wholesale Products Group, and Business to Business Products Group. The company provides agricultural and horticultural products, including mineral-based absorbent products that serve as carriers for biological and chemical active ingredients, drying agents, and growing media under the Agsorb, Verge, and Flo-Fre brand names.