Koppers (NYSE:KOP) Hits New 12-Month Low - What's Next?

Shares of Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $27.00 and last traded at $27.89, with a volume of 223038 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $27.81.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $64.00 price objective on shares of Koppers in a research report on Monday, February 24th. StockNews.com downgraded Koppers from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd.

Koppers Trading Up 0.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 2.54 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $30.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $34.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $612.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.49 and a beta of 1.74.

Koppers (NYSE:KOP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.95 by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $477.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $497.00 million. Koppers had a return on equity of 16.71% and a net margin of 3.55%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Koppers Holdings Inc. will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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Koppers Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.07%. This is an increase from Koppers's previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. Koppers's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.17%.

Koppers announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 27th that authorizes the company to repurchase $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty chemicals company to purchase up to 16.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KOP. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Koppers in the third quarter worth about $37,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Koppers in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in Koppers by 83.8% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,204 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 549 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. boosted its stake in Koppers by 277.2% during the third quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 1,520 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 1,117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Koppers by 145.1% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,027 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the last quarter. 92.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Koppers

Koppers Holdings Inc provides treated wood products, wood preservation chemicals, and carbon compounds in the United States, Australasia, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Railroad and Utility Products and Services (RUPS), Performance Chemicals (PC), and Carbon Materials and Chemicals (CMC) segments.