H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL - Free Report) had its price target boosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $50.00 to $54.00 in a research report report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an underweight rating on the specialty chemicals company's stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on FUL. Seaport Res Ptn lowered H. B. Fuller from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of H. B. Fuller from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $60.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded shares of H. B. Fuller from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, H. B. Fuller currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $67.25.

H. B. Fuller Stock Down 2.5%

H. B. Fuller stock traded down $1.54 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $60.19. 699,891 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 491,067. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. H. B. Fuller has a twelve month low of $47.56 and a twelve month high of $87.67. The company has a market cap of $3.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.54, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a fifty day moving average of $55.47 and a 200-day moving average of $58.17.

H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, June 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.08. H. B. Fuller had a net margin of 2.92% and a return on equity of 11.50%. The firm had revenue of $898.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $894.87 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.12 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that H. B. Fuller will post 4.07 EPS for the current year.

H. B. Fuller Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 29th were given a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.56%. This is a boost from H. B. Fuller's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 29th. H. B. Fuller's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.00%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Celeste Beeks Mastin purchased 3,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $56.66 per share, with a total value of $198,310.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 3,500 shares in the company, valued at $198,310. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.99% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of H. B. Fuller by 128.8% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 899 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its stake in H. B. Fuller by 731.1% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,255 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 1,104 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in H. B. Fuller during the first quarter worth $101,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in H. B. Fuller during the fourth quarter worth $266,000. Finally, Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its holdings in H. B. Fuller by 25.4% in the first quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 6,538 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,323 shares during the last quarter. 95.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About H. B. Fuller

H.B. Fuller Company, together with its subsidiaries, formulates, manufactures, and markets adhesives, sealants, coatings, polymers, tapes, encapsulants, additives, and other specialty chemical products. It operates through three segments: Hygiene, Health and Consumable Adhesives; Engineering Adhesives; and Construction Adhesives.