Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Koppers Holdings Inc. experienced a notable increase in short interest, rising by 52.9% to 905,800 shares as of August 31st.
• The company's recent quarterly earnings report showed a net margin of 0.76% and revenue of $504.80 million, which fell short of analysts' expectations.
• Koppers has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, reflecting a 1.1% yield and a payout ratio of 44.44%.

Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 905,800 shares, a growth of 52.9% from the August 15th total of 592,600 shares. Approximately 4.9% of the company's shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 144,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 6.3 days. Based on an average trading volume of 144,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 6.3 days. Approximately 4.9% of the company's shares are short sold.

Koppers Stock Performance

NYSE KOP traded down $0.34 on Friday, reaching $29.01. 591,356 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 160,107. The firm has a market cap of $572.08 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.29 and a beta of 1.46. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $30.59 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.69. Koppers has a fifty-two week low of $22.99 and a fifty-two week high of $39.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 2.60.

Koppers (NYSE:KOP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $504.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $540.30 million. Koppers had a net margin of 0.76% and a return on equity of 17.43%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.36 earnings per share. Koppers has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.000-4.600 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Koppers will post 4.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Koppers Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 29th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 29th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Koppers's payout ratio is currently 44.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KOP has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and issued a $50.00 target price (down from $55.00) on shares of Koppers in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Koppers from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. Finally, Barrington Research dropped their target price on shares of Koppers from $64.00 to $55.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Koppers has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $52.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Koppers by 3.2% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 11,602 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $325,000 after buying an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in shares of Koppers by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 11,673 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $375,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Koppers by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 22,451 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $629,000 after purchasing an additional 483 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in shares of Koppers by 23.5% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,235 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 615 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its stake in shares of Koppers by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 11,903 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $382,000 after purchasing an additional 672 shares in the last quarter. 92.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Koppers Company Profile

Koppers Holdings Inc provides treated wood products, wood preservation chemicals, and carbon compounds in the United States, Australasia, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Railroad and Utility Products and Services (RUPS), Performance Chemicals (PC), and Carbon Materials and Chemicals (CMC) segments.