Donaldson (NYSE:DCI) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Buy

Donaldson (NYSE:DCI - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Friday.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on DCI. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Donaldson from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Donaldson from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Donaldson has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $74.00.

Donaldson Stock Up 2.0 %

DCI stock opened at $71.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $71.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.62. The stock has a market cap of $8.56 billion, a PE ratio of 20.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.06. Donaldson has a fifty-two week low of $64.35 and a fifty-two week high of $78.95.

Donaldson (NYSE:DCI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 3rd. The industrial products company reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.01. Donaldson had a return on equity of 29.07% and a net margin of 11.56%. The business had revenue of $900.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $888.88 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.75 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Donaldson will post 3.64 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Donaldson

In other Donaldson news, Director Trudy A. Rautio sold 14,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.60, for a total value of $946,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,420 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,785,992. This represents a 34.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Donaldson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Donaldson in the 4th quarter worth about $943,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Donaldson by 5.7% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 439,538 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,394,000 after buying an additional 23,758 shares during the period. Jensen Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Donaldson by 18.1% in the third quarter. Jensen Investment Management Inc. now owns 67,040 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,941,000 after acquiring an additional 10,280 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Donaldson by 7.3% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 28,877 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,128,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Donaldson by 28.7% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 925 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. 82.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Donaldson Company Profile

Donaldson Company, Inc manufactures and sells filtration systems and replacement parts worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Mobile Solutions, Industrial Solutions, and Life Sciences. Its Mobile Solutions segment provides replacement filters for air and liquid filtration applications, such as air filtration systems; liquid filtration systems for fuel, lube, and hydraulic applications; exhaust and emissions systems and sensors; indicators; and monitoring systems.