FutureFuel (NYSE:FF) Stock Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• FutureFuel shares rose above their 200-day moving average, reaching $5.52 and last trading near $5.47, compared with a 200-day average of $4.59.
• Analyst sentiment remains negative: one analyst rates the stock “Sell,” while its average rating is also “Sell,” despite one recent upgrade to “Hold.”
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.25 on $78.73 million in revenue, but posted negative net margin and return on equity. FutureFuel also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.01, equivalent to a 0.7% annual yield.

FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $4.59 and traded as high as $5.52. FutureFuel shares last traded at $5.4660, with a volume of 308,208 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on FF. Wall Street Zen upgraded FutureFuel from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded FutureFuel from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Sell".

FutureFuel Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $239.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.81 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $5.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.59.

FutureFuel (NYSE:FF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The energy company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. FutureFuel had a negative return on equity of 19.75% and a negative net margin of 19.94%.The business had revenue of $78.73 million for the quarter.

FutureFuel Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 18th. Investors of record on Friday, December 4th will be issued a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 4th. FutureFuel's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -5.71%.

Institutional Trading of FutureFuel

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of FutureFuel during the second quarter valued at approximately $8,653,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in FutureFuel during the second quarter worth $1,384,000. Gate City Capital Management LLC raised its position in FutureFuel by 37.3% in the 4th quarter. Gate City Capital Management LLC now owns 1,104,149 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $3,522,000 after buying an additional 299,924 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in FutureFuel in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,214,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in FutureFuel during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,029,000. Institutional investors own 44.56% of the company's stock.

About FutureFuel

FutureFuel Corp. NYSE: FF is a chemical manufacturing company that develops and produces specialty chemicals and biofuels. Its operations are conducted primarily through its subsidiary, FutureFuel Chemical Company, which operates a manufacturing facility in Batesville, Arkansas.

The company's chemical business provides products and custom manufacturing services for a range of industrial applications. Its products serve markets including coatings, adhesives, agriculture, automotive, pharmaceuticals and household products.

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