Koppers (NYSE:KOP) Reaches New 1-Year High on Strong Earnings

Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $36.98 and last traded at $35.29, with a volume of 16779 shares. The stock had previously closed at $34.52.

The specialty chemicals company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.11. Koppers had a return on equity of 16.48% and a net margin of 0.84%.During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.77 earnings per share. Koppers’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. Koppers has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.200-5.000 EPS.

Koppers Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. This is a boost from Koppers’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Koppers’s payout ratio is currently 40.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on KOP shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Koppers from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Koppers in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Koppers from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $52.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KOP. Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new position in shares of Koppers during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Koppers during the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in Koppers by 258.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,930 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 1,391 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its holdings in Koppers by 95.6% during the 2nd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 2,130 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 1,041 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of Koppers by 23.5% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,235 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 615 shares during the period. 92.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Koppers Stock Up 2.5%

The stock has a market cap of $694.10 million, a P/E ratio of 44.24 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 2.63. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $30.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $29.02.

Koppers Company Profile

Koppers Company, Inc is a global specialty chemicals and materials manufacturer serving diverse industrial markets. The company operates through two primary segments: Carbon Materials & Chemicals, which produces a range of coal tar–based products, phenolic specialties and carbon compounds; and Railroad Products & Services, which offers wood treating and infrastructure services for rail and utility customers.

In its Carbon Materials & Chemicals segment, Koppers supplies coal tar pitch, refined creosote, coal tar‐based distillates and phenolic resins used in aluminum smelting, graphite electrode manufacture, carbon fiber production, and water treatment applications.