Douglas Dynamics (NYSE:PLOW) Shares Gap Up After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW - Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $24.39, but opened at $25.90. Douglas Dynamics shares last traded at $26.42, with a volume of 29,855 shares.

The auto parts company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.16) by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $115.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $107.80 million. Douglas Dynamics had a return on equity of 12.68% and a net margin of 9.89%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 20.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.29) EPS.

Douglas Dynamics Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th were issued a $0.295 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 18th. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.33%. Douglas Dynamics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.38%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on PLOW. DA Davidson reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $32.00 target price on shares of Douglas Dynamics in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. StockNews.com upgraded Douglas Dynamics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Douglas Dynamics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Douglas Dynamics in the fourth quarter valued at about $49,000. US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in shares of Douglas Dynamics by 15.6% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,052 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 413 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in Douglas Dynamics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $111,000. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in Douglas Dynamics by 24.2% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,400 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $125,000 after acquiring an additional 1,052 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new position in Douglas Dynamics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $153,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.85% of the company's stock.

Douglas Dynamics Price Performance

The company's 50-day simple moving average is $23.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $24.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company has a market cap of $631.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.25.

Douglas Dynamics Company Profile

Douglas Dynamics, Inc operates as a manufacturer and upfitter of commercial work truck attachments and equipment in North America. It operates through two segments, Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions. The Work Truck Attachments segment manufactures and sells snow and ice control attachments, including snowplows, and sand and salt spreaders for light trucks and heavy duty trucks, as well as various related parts and accessories.