H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Short Interest Up 20.3% in August

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) saw a large increase in short interest during 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 volume of 323,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.9 days.

Insider Transactions at H.B. Fuller

In related news, VP Heather Campe sold 23,696 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.66, for a total value of $1,958,711.36. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $1,631,873.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.96% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On H.B. Fuller

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FUL. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in H.B. Fuller in the 1st quarter worth approximately $79,000. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new stake in H.B. Fuller during the 4th quarter valued at $236,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC purchased a new stake in H.B. Fuller during the 4th quarter valued at $738,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its holdings in H.B. Fuller by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 11,353 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $924,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of H.B. Fuller by 9.9% in 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 acquiring an additional 4,077 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.93% of the company’s stock.

H.B. Fuller Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:FUL traded up $1.39 during trading on Friday, hitting $80.78. 269,355 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 300,253. The company has a market cap of $4.40 billion, a PE ratio of 27.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.42. H.B. Fuller has a 52-week low of $64.64 and a 52-week high of $87.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.16. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $81.73 and a 200 day moving average of $79.44.

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, June 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $917.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $914.22 million. H.B. Fuller had a return on equity of 13.33% and a net margin of 4.67%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.93 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that H.B. Fuller will post 4.4 EPS for the current year.

H.B. Fuller Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st were paid a $0.2225 dividend. This is a boost from H.B. Fuller’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 31st. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.10%. H.B. Fuller’s dividend payout ratio is 30.38%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.