Koppers (NYSE:KOP) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Hold Rating

Koppers (NYSE:KOP - Get Free Report) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Separately, Barrington Research reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $64.00 target price on shares of Koppers in a report on Monday, February 24th.

Koppers Stock Performance

KOP traded down $0.37 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $28.34. 228,372 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 143,120. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 2.54 and a quick ratio of 1.13. Koppers has a 12 month low of $27.00 and a 12 month high of $56.96. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.58. The stock has a market cap of $580.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.05 and a beta of 1.74.

Koppers (NYSE:KOP - Get Free Report) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $477.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $497.00 million. Koppers had a net margin of 3.55% and a return on equity of 16.71%. Analysts anticipate that Koppers will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Koppers announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, February 27th that allows the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the specialty chemicals company to purchase up to 16.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Koppers

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Koppers by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,237,486 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $40,094,000 after purchasing an additional 8,111 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Koppers by 18.0% during the 4th quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 908,772 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $29,444,000 after buying an additional 138,603 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management grew its stake in shares of Koppers by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 632,862 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $20,505,000 after buying an additional 2,312 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Koppers by 20.7% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 568,787 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $20,778,000 after acquiring an additional 97,586 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Koppers by 5.1% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 424,871 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $15,521,000 after acquiring an additional 20,586 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.75% of the company's stock.

Koppers Company Profile

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.