ACCO Brands (NYSE:ACCO) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

ACCO Brands (NYSE:ACCO - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

Separately, Barrington Research reduced their target price on shares of ACCO Brands from $7.50 to $7.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

ACCO Brands Stock Down 1.8%

ACCO Brands stock traded down $0.07 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $3.79. 889,283 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 695,608. The company has a market cap of $341.48 million, a P/E ratio of -3.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.36. ACCO Brands has a twelve month low of $3.41 and a twelve month high of $6.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a fifty day moving average of $3.96 and a 200-day moving average of $4.89.

ACCO Brands (NYSE:ACCO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.02. The company had revenue of $317.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $318.75 million. ACCO Brands had a negative net margin of 6.10% and a positive return on equity of 14.96%. Sell-side analysts expect that ACCO Brands will post 1.02 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ACCO Brands

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of ACCO Brands by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 460,514 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,930,000 after purchasing an additional 16,343 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of ACCO Brands in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $127,000. Petrus Trust Company LTA increased its position in shares of ACCO Brands by 154.2% in the 1st quarter. Petrus Trust Company LTA now owns 63,453 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $266,000 after purchasing an additional 38,493 shares during the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of ACCO Brands by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 841,814 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,527,000 after purchasing an additional 16,343 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of ACCO Brands by 18.6% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,295,815 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,429,000 after purchasing an additional 202,965 shares during the last quarter. 84.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About ACCO Brands

ACCO Brands Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets consumer, school, technology, and office products. It operates through three segments: ACCO Brands North America, ACCO Brands EMEA, and ACCO Brands International. The company provides computer and gaming accessories, planners, dry erase boards, school notebooks, and janitorial supplies; storage and organization products, such as lever-arch binders, sheet protectors, and indexes; sheet protectors and indexes; laminating, binding, and shredding machines; writing instruments and art products; stapling and punching products; and do-it-yourself tools.