Nordson (NASDAQ:NDSN) Rating Lowered to Hold at StockNews.com

Nordson (NASDAQ:NDSN - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of Nordson from $290.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. KeyCorp restated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Nordson in a research report on Monday, February 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Nordson from $290.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Nordson presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $278.00.

Nordson Stock Performance

NASDAQ:NDSN traded down $2.88 on Thursday, reaching $268.89. 246,158 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 218,275. The firm has a market cap of $15.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 2.19 and a quick ratio of 1.37. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $266.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $247.19. Nordson has a 52 week low of $208.90 and a 52 week high of $278.00.

Nordson (NASDAQ:NDSN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.18. Nordson had a net margin of 18.59% and a return on equity of 20.59%. The company had revenue of $633.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $630.77 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.95 EPS. Nordson's revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Nordson will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Nordson news, EVP Srinivas Subramanian sold 2,100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.79, for a total transaction of $526,659.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,144,856.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Advisory Services Network LLC increased its position in shares of Nordson by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 10,674 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,820,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Nordson by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 1,911 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $474,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance raised its position in shares of Nordson by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 1,983 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $524,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nordson by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 6,183 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,633,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Nordson by 3.6% during the third quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $308,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. 72.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Nordson Company Profile

Nordson Corporation engineers, manufactures, and markets products and systems to dispense, apply, and control adhesives, coatings, polymers, sealants, biomaterials, and other fluids worldwide. It operates through three segments: Industrial Precision Solutions; Medical and Fluid Solutions; and Advanced Technology Solutions.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.