Squarepoint Ops LLC Sells 8,647 Shares of WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC)

Squarepoint Ops LLC lowered its position in WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC - Free Report) by 54.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,252 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 8,647 shares during the quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned approximately 0.05% of WD-40 worth $1,760,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of WDFC. Barclays PLC increased its position in WD-40 by 309.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 37,094 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $9,566,000 after acquiring an additional 28,039 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in WD-40 by 19.5% during the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,757 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $669,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its position in WD-40 by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 3,120 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $757,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in WD-40 by 39.9% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 550 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $142,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its stake in WD-40 by 23.1% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 548 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $133,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. 91.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, DA Davidson upgraded shares of WD-40 to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 14th.

WD-40 Price Performance

WD-40 stock remained flat at $240.57 during mid-day trading on Tuesday. 5,502 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 104,388. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. WD-40 has a 52-week low of $208.00 and a 52-week high of $292.36. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $233.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $241.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.26 billion, a PE ratio of 46.09 and a beta of 0.17.

WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $146.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $154.40 million. WD-40 had a net margin of 11.78% and a return on equity of 31.68%. The company's revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.14 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that WD-40 will post 5.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WD-40 Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 18th were paid a $0.94 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.56%. WD-40's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.97%.

Insider Activity

In other WD-40 news, CFO Sara Kathleen Hyzer purchased 256 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $222.83 per share, for a total transaction of $57,044.48. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer now owns 4,072 shares of the company's stock, valued at $907,363.76. This trade represents a 6.71% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

WD-40 Company Profile

WD-40 Company develops and sells maintenance products, and homecare and cleaning products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company provides multi-purpose maintenance products that include aerosol sprays, non-aerosol trigger sprays, precision pens, and in liquid-bulk form products under the WD-40 Multi-Use brand name; specialty maintenance products, such as penetrants, degreasers, corrosion inhibitors, greases, lubricants, and rust removers under the WD-40 Specialist brand; and bike-specific products.