Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) Reaches New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $49.80 and last traded at $49.55, with a volume of 29723 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $48.80.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen raised Oil-Dri Co. of America from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Stock Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $44.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.41. The company has a market cap of $735.15 million, a P/E ratio of 16.27 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.63 and a quick ratio of 1.61.

Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter. Oil-Dri Co. of America had a return on equity of 21.84% and a net margin of 9.92%. The company had revenue of $116.91 million during the quarter.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th were paid a $0.155 dividend. This represents a $0.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 9th. Oil-Dri Co. of America's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.81%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Oil-Dri Co. of America

In other Oil-Dri Co. of America news, Director Ellen-Blair Chube sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.51, for a total value of $148,785.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $502,468.20. This trade represents a 22.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 11.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oil-Dri Co. of America

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Trust Co. of Vermont raised its stake in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 100.0% in the first quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 600 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. MAI Capital Management raised its stake in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 100.0% in the first quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 600 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 98.0% in the first quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 891 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 441 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 100.0% in the first quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,160 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 580 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America in the first quarter worth about $105,000. 49.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Company Profile

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a manufacturer and supplier of specialty sorbent products for the pet care, animal health and nutrition, fluids purification, agricultural ingredients, sports field, industrial and automotive markets. It operates through the Business to Business Products Group and Retail and Wholesale Products Group segments.