Otter Tail Co. (NASDAQ:OTTR) Position Increased by AQR Capital Management LLC

AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Otter Tail Co. (NASDAQ:OTTR - Free Report) by 114.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 14,598 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 7,779 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC's holdings in Otter Tail were worth $1,279,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Foster & Motley Inc. boosted its position in Otter Tail by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 9,855 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $863,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Otter Tail by 46.3% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 657 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in Otter Tail by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,525 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $922,000 after buying an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Otter Tail by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 21,091 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,847,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Otter Tail by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,327 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,518,000 after buying an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. 61.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Otter Tail Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:OTTR traded up $1.26 during trading on Friday, reaching $76.87. The company had a trading volume of 264,211 shares, compared to its average volume of 228,582. Otter Tail Co. has a twelve month low of $68.96 and a twelve month high of $100.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a current ratio of 2.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.22 billion, a PE ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 0.53. The firm's fifty day moving average is $82.58 and its 200 day moving average is $86.38.

Otter Tail (NASDAQ:OTTR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.38. Otter Tail had a return on equity of 21.06% and a net margin of 22.84%. The firm had revenue of $342.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $367.71 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.95 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Otter Tail Co. will post 6.92 EPS for the current year.

Otter Tail Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were given a $0.468 dividend. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 15th. Otter Tail's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.27%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Jennifer O. Smestad sold 4,000 shares of Otter Tail stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.74, for a total value of $354,960.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 12,300 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,091,502. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 2.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Otter Tail Profile

Otter Tail Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in electric utility, manufacturing, and plastic pipe businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Electric, Manufacturing, and Plastics. The Electric segment produces, transmits, distributes, and sells electric energy in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota; and operates as a participant in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator markets.