Andersons (NASDAQ:ANDE) Shares Gap Up Following Strong Earnings

Shares of The Andersons, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE - Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $40.77, but opened at $47.13. Andersons shares last traded at $51.20, with a volume of 92,772 shares trading hands.

The basic materials company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $3.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.72 billion. Andersons had a net margin of 1.01% and a return on equity of 7.59%.

Andersons Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.195 per share. This represents a $0.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Andersons's dividend payout ratio is currently 23.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Andersons in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Andersons from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday.

Insider Buying and Selling at Andersons

In related news, insider Joseph E. Mcneely sold 2,382 shares of Andersons stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.73, for a total value of $113,692.86. Following the sale, the insider now owns 49,601 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,367,455.73. The trade was a 4.58 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Weston Heide sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total value of $38,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 16,104 shares in the company, valued at approximately $772,992. The trade was a 4.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 5.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Andersons

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ANDE. Peoples Bank KS raised its position in shares of Andersons by 250.0% in the fourth quarter. Peoples Bank KS now owns 700 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. KBC Group NV raised its holdings in Andersons by 70.3% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,558 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 643 shares during the period. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in Andersons during the 3rd quarter valued at $98,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Andersons by 16.8% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,866 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 412 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Systematic Financial Management LP bought a new position in shares of Andersons in the third quarter worth $227,000. 87.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Andersons Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The company has a market capitalization of $1.55 billion, a PE ratio of 13.71 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $41.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.95.

Andersons Company Profile

The Andersons, Inc operates in trade, renewables, and nutrient and industrial sectors in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Switzerland, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Trade, Renewables, and Nutrient & Industrial. The company's Trade segment operates grain elevators; stores commodities; and provides grain marketing, risk management, and origination services, as well as sells commodities, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, ethanol, and corn oil.