FutureFuel (NYSE:FF) Downgraded by StockNews.com to "Buy"

FutureFuel (NYSE:FF - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

FutureFuel Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:FF traded up $0.08 on Wednesday, hitting $6.13. The stock had a trading volume of 211,227 shares, compared to its average volume of 462,201. FutureFuel has a twelve month low of $4.15 and a twelve month high of $8.36. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $5.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.51. The company has a market capitalization of $268.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.33 and a beta of 0.62.

FutureFuel (NYSE:FF - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The energy company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter. FutureFuel had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 15.62%. The company had revenue of $72.41 million during the quarter.

Insider Activity at FutureFuel

In related news, Director Paul Manheim purchased 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $6.10 per share, for a total transaction of $36,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 19,103 shares in the company, valued at $116,528.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 40.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On FutureFuel

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in FutureFuel by 612.4% during the 2nd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 352,525 shares of the energy company's stock worth $1,808,000 after acquiring an additional 303,038 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of FutureFuel by 76.1% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,553,136 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $7,968,000 after buying an additional 671,144 shares during the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd grew its stake in shares of FutureFuel by 170.7% in the 1st quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 37,569 shares of the energy company's stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 23,692 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC increased its stake in FutureFuel by 78.7% in the 1st quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 53,800 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $433,000 after buying an additional 23,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in FutureFuel by 27.3% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,238 shares of the energy company's stock worth $129,000 after acquiring an additional 5,408 shares during the period. 44.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

FutureFuel Company Profile

FutureFuel Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells diversified chemical, bio-based fuel, and bio-based specialty chemical products in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Chemicals and Biofuels. The Chemicals segment provides various custom chemicals that are used in the coatings, chemical intermediates, industrial and consumer cleaning, oil and gas, and specialty polymers industries; and performance chemicals, such as polymer modifiers, glycerin products, and various specialty chemicals and solvents.