Keeley Teton Advisors LLC Increases Stock Position in Rush Enterprises, Inc. $RUSHA

Key Points

• Keeley Teton Advisors LLC has increased its ownership in Rush Enterprises, Inc. by 36.4%, bringing its total holdings to 29,010 shares valued at approximately $1.55 million.
• Rush Enterprises recently reported earnings of $0.90 per share, exceeding expectations, and plans to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.19 per share, up from $0.18.
• Institutional investors own 84.43% of the company's stock, indicating strong institutional support and confidence in Rush Enterprises.

Keeley Teton Advisors LLC boosted its position in Rush Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:RUSHA - Free Report) by 36.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 29,010 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,739 shares during the quarter. Keeley Teton Advisors LLC's holdings in Rush Enterprises were worth $1,549,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Rush Enterprises by 1.9% in the first quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,218,650 shares of the company's stock valued at $118,499,000 after acquiring an additional 41,407 shares during the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. boosted its position in Rush Enterprises by 6.5% in the first quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,302,218 shares of the company's stock valued at $69,552,000 after buying an additional 79,499 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its position in Rush Enterprises by 73.3% in the first quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 882,911 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,156,000 after buying an additional 373,531 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in Rush Enterprises by 12.0% in the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 879,554 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,977,000 after buying an additional 94,271 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. boosted its position in Rush Enterprises by 2.3% in the first quarter. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. now owns 807,290 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,117,000 after buying an additional 18,100 shares in the last quarter. 84.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Rush Enterprises Trading Down 0.8%

NASDAQ RUSHA traded down $0.49 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $57.40. 230,994 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 302,738. Rush Enterprises, Inc. has a one year low of $46.30 and a one year high of $65.43. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $54.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $53.25. The stock has a market cap of $4.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 0.32.

Rush Enterprises (NASDAQ:RUSHA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.10. Rush Enterprises had a net margin of 3.73% and a return on equity of 13.29%. The business had revenue of $1.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.89 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that Rush Enterprises, Inc. will post 3.91 EPS for the current year.

Rush Enterprises Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This is a boost from Rush Enterprises's previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 12th. Rush Enterprises's payout ratio is 21.65%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Rush Enterprises in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Rush Enterprises from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, July 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $61.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rush Enterprises

In related news, COO Jason Wilder sold 4,980 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.55, for a total transaction of $276,639.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 79,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,426,890.60. The trade was a 5.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Michael L. Goldstone sold 4,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.25, for a total transaction of $257,625.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 12,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $716,197.50. This trade represents a 26.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,480 shares of company stock valued at $862,104. Corporate insiders own 12.28% of the company's stock.

About Rush Enterprises

Rush Enterprises, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated retailer of commercial vehicles and related services in the United States and Canada. The company operates a network of commercial vehicle dealerships under the Rush Truck Centers name. Its Rush Truck Centers primarily sell commercial vehicles manufactured by Peterbilt, International, Hino, Ford, Isuzu, IC Bus, Blue Bird, and Dennis Eagle.