Oil-Dri Corporation Of America (NYSE:ODC) Shares Break Below 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Oil-Dri Corporation Of America (NYSE:ODC)’s share price passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $86.92 and traded as low as $73.23. Oil-Dri Corporation Of America shares last traded at $75.4860, with a volume of 87,896 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ODC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Oil-Dri Corporation Of America in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Oil-Dri Corporation Of America from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Oil-Dri Corporation Of America Trading Up 0.6%

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $87.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $86.92. The firm has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 18.87 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 3.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Oil-Dri Corporation Of America (NYSE:ODC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Oil-Dri Corporation Of America had a return on equity of 20.31% and a net margin of 11.54%. The company had revenue of $129.29 million during the quarter.

Oil-Dri Corporation Of America Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 6th will be issued a $0.2250 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 6th. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Oil-Dri Corporation Of America’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.50%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Christopher Lamson sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.27, for a total transaction of $561,890.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 4,453 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $357,442.31. This represents a 61.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Amy Ryan sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.80, for a total value of $86,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $220,640. This represents a 28.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 11.69% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Oil-Dri Corporation Of America

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ODC. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Oil-Dri Corporation Of America by 395.2% during the third quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp acquired a new position in shares of Oil-Dri Corporation Of America in the 1st quarter valued at $54,000. Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new position in shares of Oil-Dri Corporation Of America during the 2nd quarter worth $61,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Oil-Dri Corporation Of America by 69.5% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,639 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $148,000 after purchasing an additional 672 shares during the period. Finally, Valmark Advisers Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Oil-Dri Corporation Of America during the 1st quarter worth about $212,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.01% of the company’s stock.

Oil-Dri Corporation Of America Company Profile

Oil-Dri Corporation of America develops, manufactures and markets absorbent mineral products for consumer, industrial, agricultural and sports-related applications. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company processes clay and other mineral materials into products designed to absorb liquids, control odors, improve soil performance and support a range of commercial uses.

Its consumer products include cat litter and related pet-care products marketed under brands such as Cat’s Pride and Jonny Cat.