Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Friday.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Price Performance

Shares of ODC stock traded down $0.18 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $43.11. 498 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 37,107. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Oil-Dri Co. of America has a 52-week low of $29.47 and a 52-week high of $49.72. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $44.80 and a 200 day moving average of $33.12. The company has a market cap of $629.19 million, a PE ratio of 14.02 and a beta of 0.55.

Oil-Dri Co. of America (NYSE:ODC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $116.91 million during the quarter. Oil-Dri Co. of America had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 21.84%.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $0.155 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a $0.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.44%. Oil-Dri Co. of America's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.81%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Christopher B. Lamson sold 3,154 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.75, for a total value of $134,833.50. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 70,796 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,026,529. The trade was a 4.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Amy Ryan sold 2,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.78, for a total transaction of $87,738.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,900 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $162,942. This trade represents a 35.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 11.66% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Oil-Dri Co. of America

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 18.2% during the fourth quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 6,500 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $570,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 17.8% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 26,793 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $2,348,000 after buying an additional 4,050 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 11.5% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 146,239 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $12,816,000 after purchasing an additional 15,041 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL purchased a new stake in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America in the 4th quarter valued at about $240,000. Finally, Royce & Associates LP boosted its position in shares of Oil-Dri Co. of America by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 166,000 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $14,548,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.01% of the company's stock.

Oil-Dri Co. of America Company Profile

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a manufacturer and supplier of specialty sorbent products for the pet care, animal health and nutrition, fluids purification, agricultural ingredients, sports field, industrial and automotive markets. It operates through the Business to Business Products Group and Retail and Wholesale Products Group segments.