H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) Shares Gap Up - Here's Why

Key Points

• H. B. Fuller shares opened at $53, up from a $50 prior close, after the company reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.52, beating the $1.47 consensus. Revenue rose 5.2% year over year to $938.2 million, though it fell short of analyst expectations.
• Management reaffirmed fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $4.70–$4.85 and set an adjusted EBITDA target of $655–$670 million, supported by pricing and its “Quantum Leap” cost-savings program.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $67.50, but investors remain focused on declining volumes, approximately $1.96 billion in net debt, and activist pressure to explore strategic alternatives.

Shares of H. B. Fuller Company (NYSE:FUL - Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Friday. The stock had previously closed at $50.00, but opened at $53.00. H. B. Fuller shares last traded at $49.5940, with a volume of 131,632 shares trading hands.

More H. B. Fuller News

Here are the key news stories impacting H. B. Fuller this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings of $1.52 per share exceeded the $1.47 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 5.2% year over year to $938.2 million. Organic revenue increased 4.4%, and adjusted gross margin expanded to 33.5% as pricing and restructuring savings offset lower volumes. H.B. Fuller Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $4.70-$4.85 and set an adjusted EBITDA target of $655 million-$670 million. Continued progress on the “Quantum Leap” cost-savings program could support margins and earnings. FY2026 EBITDA and EPS targets
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird lowered its price target to $65 from $75 but maintained an “outperform” rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Activist investor Ancora is also pressing the board to evaluate strategic alternatives, which could create value through a sale or other corporate action. Baird price target update Ancora strategic alternatives report
• Neutral Sentiment: The shares trade well below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while valuation-focused commentary characterizes FUL as undervalued. However, net debt remained high at approximately $1.96 billion, increasing the importance of successful deleveraging and operational improvements. H.B. Fuller valuation analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue fell short of the roughly $945.6 million consensus estimate, and organic growth was driven primarily by a 7.4% pricing increase that more than offset declining volume. Fiscal 2026 guidance also tops out below the consensus EPS estimate of $4.85, contributing to investor caution. Why H.B. Fuller stock dipped

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FUL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group set a $69.00 price objective on shares of H. B. Fuller in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Zacks Research cut H. B. Fuller from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Raymond James Financial set a $67.00 price target on H. B. Fuller in a research report on Friday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $67.00 price objective on H. B. Fuller in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded H. B. Fuller from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $58.00 to $67.00 in a research note on Friday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $67.50.

H. B. Fuller Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $2.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.97. The stock's 50 day moving average is $55.85 and its 200 day moving average is $58.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.05. H. B. Fuller had a net margin of 5.29% and a return on equity of 12.18%. The firm had revenue of $938.17 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $945.59 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.26 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. H. B. Fuller has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.700-4.850 EPS. Analysts anticipate that H. B. Fuller Company will post 4.83 earnings per share for the current year.

H. B. Fuller Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 30th were given a dividend of $0.2450 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 30th. This represents a $0.98 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. H. B. Fuller's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.06%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Nathan Weaver sold 9,561 shares of H. B. Fuller stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.06, for a total transaction of $593,355.66. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 11,739 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $728,522.34. This trade represents a 44.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.83% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On H. B. Fuller

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in H. B. Fuller by 50.1% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 578 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of H. B. Fuller by 432.9% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 778 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 632 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of H. B. Fuller by 85.6% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,034 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 477 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of H. B. Fuller during the second quarter worth approximately $86,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of H. B. Fuller by 510.8% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,466 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $87,000 after buying an additional 1,226 shares in the last quarter. 95.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About H. B. Fuller

H.B. Fuller Company NYSE: FUL develops and manufactures specialty adhesives, sealants and other chemical-based products used in industrial and commercial applications. Its solutions help customers bond, seal, coat and assemble materials across a range of products and manufacturing processes.

The company serves markets including packaging, hygiene and disposable products, construction, transportation, electronics, durable assembly, woodworking, flooring, composites and renewable energy.

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