Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) Shares Sold by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM - Free Report) by 47.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 279,394 shares of the company's stock after selling 255,409 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Archer-Daniels-Midland worth $16,180,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Archer-Daniels-Midland during the third quarter worth $26,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Sachetta LLC lifted its stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 39.8% in the second quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 737 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.28% of the company's stock.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Price Performance

ADM stock traded up $1.11 on Friday, reaching $50.49. 11,987,448 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,153,341. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a twelve month low of $48.92 and a twelve month high of $74.02. The firm has a market cap of $24.16 billion, a PE ratio of 14.43 and a beta of 0.72. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $53.79 and a 200-day moving average of $58.28.

Archer-Daniels-Midland announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, December 11th that allows the company to repurchase 100,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.96%. Archer-Daniels-Midland's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.14%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ADM has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $55.00 to $51.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $57.00 to $52.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Stephens began coverage on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $55.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $60.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $51.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $60.62.

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.