Andersons (NASDAQ:ANDE) Shares Gap Up on Strong Earnings

The Andersons, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $40.77, but opened at $47.13. Andersons shares last traded at $51.20, with a volume of 92,772 shares changing hands.

The basic materials company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $3.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.72 billion. Andersons had a return on equity of 8.21% and a net margin of 1.06%.

Andersons Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.195 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.63%. Andersons’s payout ratio is currently 22.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Andersons from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Andersons in a report on Wednesday.

Insider Activity at Andersons

In related news, insider Joseph E. Mcneely sold 2,382 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.73, for a total transaction of $113,692.86. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 49,601 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,367,455.73. The trade was a 4.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 5.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Andersons

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Peoples Bank KS lifted its stake in shares of Andersons by 250.0% in the fourth quarter. Peoples Bank KS now owns 700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. KBC Group NV raised its holdings in Andersons by 70.3% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,558 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 643 shares in the last quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Andersons in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $98,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Andersons by 16.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,866 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 412 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Andersons during the 4th quarter worth approximately $189,000. 87.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Andersons Trading Up 17.3 %

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $41.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $45.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.66 and a beta of 0.58.

Andersons Company Profile

The Andersons, Inc operates in trade, renewables, and nutrient and industrial sectors in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Switzerland, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Trade, Renewables, and Nutrient & Industrial. The company’s Trade segment operates grain elevators; stores commodities; and provides grain marketing, risk management, and origination services, as well as sells commodities, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, ethanol, and corn oil.