Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP) Short Interest Update

Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP - Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 255,800 shares, a decrease of 17.3% from the September 15th total of 309,200 shares. Currently, 1.3% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 163,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.6 days.

Koppers Stock Down 0.3 %

KOP stock traded down $0.12 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $36.91. The stock had a trading volume of 44,122 shares, compared to its average volume of 150,947. The stock has a market capitalization of $782.49 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.36 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a current ratio of 2.53, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92. Koppers has a 1-year low of $33.80 and a 1-year high of $58.23. The company has a fifty day moving average of $36.99 and a 200 day moving average of $41.71.

Koppers (NYSE:KOP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.09. Koppers had a net margin of 3.72% and a return on equity of 17.16%. The company had revenue of $563.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $589.17 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.26 EPS. Koppers's quarterly revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Koppers will post 4.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Koppers Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were issued a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Koppers's dividend payout ratio is 7.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Singular Research upgraded Koppers to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $64.00 price objective on shares of Koppers in a research report on Monday, August 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Koppers

In other news, VP Joseph P. Dowd sold 5,516 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.72, for a total transaction of $208,063.52. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 10,300 shares in the company, valued at $388,516. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 6.55% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Koppers

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KOP. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in Koppers by 91.7% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 119,691 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $6,601,000 after acquiring an additional 57,252 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in Koppers by 78.6% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 65,018 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $3,587,000 after acquiring an additional 28,605 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in Koppers by 37.1% in the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 132,016 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $4,883,000 after acquiring an additional 35,741 shares in the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Koppers in the second quarter worth $5,671,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Koppers during the 2nd quarter valued at about $700,000. Institutional investors 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.