WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC) Shares Bought by Two Sigma Advisers LP

Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its holdings in WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC - Free Report) by 133.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,900 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,800 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP's holdings in WD-40 were worth $1,189,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in WD-40 in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $54,571,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in WD-40 by 206.9% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 158,156 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $38,381,000 after purchasing an additional 106,617 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in WD-40 during the 4th quarter worth $17,903,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in WD-40 during the 4th quarter worth $10,179,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in WD-40 by 55.4% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 104,431 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $25,343,000 after purchasing an additional 37,247 shares during the period. 91.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

WD-40 Stock Down 0.3%

NASDAQ WDFC traded down $0.74 on Wednesday, hitting $243.94. 53,524 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 106,641. WD-40 has a fifty-two week low of $208.00 and a fifty-two week high of $292.36. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $233.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $241.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company has a market cap of $3.30 billion, a PE ratio of 46.73 and a beta of 0.17.

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

WD-40 Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 18th were given a dividend of $0.94 per share. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 17th. WD-40's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Sara Kathleen Hyzer bought 256 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $222.83 per share, with a total value of $57,044.48. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 4,072 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $907,363.76. This represents a 6.71% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.75% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

About WD-40

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.