Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM) Sets New 52-Week Low - Time to Sell?

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $48.77 and last traded at $48.78, with a volume of 177970 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $49.43.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on ADM. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $55.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $55.00 to $51.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $51.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Barclays dropped their target price on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $60.00 to $56.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $57.00 to $52.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Archer-Daniels-Midland currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $60.62.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Trading Up 1.0 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $52.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $57.32. The company has a market capitalization of $23.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.26 and a beta of 0.72.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.01%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. Archer-Daniels-Midland's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.14%.

Archer-Daniels-Midland declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, December 11th that allows the company to repurchase 100,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Archer-Daniels-Midland

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Sachetta LLC raised its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 39.8% during the 2nd quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 737 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the period. 78.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Profile

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company engages in the procurement, transportation, storage, processing, and merchandising of agricultural commodities, ingredients, flavors, and solutions in the United States, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition.