Phibro Animal Health (NASDAQ:PAHC) Shares Gap Up After Earnings Beat

Phibro Animal Health Co. (NASDAQ:PAHC - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $22.37, but opened at $23.88. Phibro Animal Health shares last traded at $23.97, with a volume of 29,625 shares traded.

The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.14. Phibro Animal Health had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 1.75%.

Phibro Animal Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be given a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 5th. Phibro Animal Health's payout ratio is presently 100.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on PAHC. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Phibro Animal Health from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Barclays increased their price objective on Phibro Animal Health from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Phibro Animal Health from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $21.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Phibro Animal Health

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PAHC. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Phibro Animal Health in the 4th quarter valued at $2,205,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its holdings in Phibro Animal Health by 116.6% in the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 192,255 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,330,000 after purchasing an additional 103,491 shares during the last quarter. Algert Global LLC lifted its stake in Phibro Animal Health by 521.1% in the third quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 71,335 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,606,000 after buying an additional 59,850 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Phibro Animal Health during the fourth quarter worth about $1,103,000. Finally, Wakefield Asset Management LLLP acquired a new position in shares of Phibro Animal Health during the 4th quarter worth about $1,020,000. 99.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Phibro Animal Health Trading Up 10.7 %

The company has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.62, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.52. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $21.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.70. The company has a current ratio of 3.20, a quick ratio of 1.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.99.

About Phibro Animal Health

Phibro Animal Health Corporation operates as an animal health and mineral nutrition company in the United States, Israel, Brazil, Ireland, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Animal Health, Mineral Nutrition, and Performance Products. The company develops, manufactures, and markets various products for food and companion animals including poultry, swine, beef and dairy cattle, aquaculture, and dogs.