American Vanguard Co. (NYSE: AVD – Get a rating) was the target of a surge in short-term interest in May. As of May 15, there was short interest totaling 621,500 shares, an increase of 47.8% from the April 30 total of 420,600 shares. Currently, 2.2% of the stock’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 283,100 shares, the day-to-cover ratio is currently 2.2 days.
Shares of AVD rose $0.02 during Friday trading hours, hitting $24.75. 345,986 shares of the company were traded, against an average volume of 347,399. The stock has a market capitalization of $762.55 million, a PE ratio of 29.46 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt ratio of 0.26. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $21.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $17.78. American Vanguard has a 12-month low of $13.82 and a 12-month high of $25.44.
American Vanguard (NYSE: AVD – Get a rating) last released its quarterly results on Wednesday, May 4. The basic materials company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.33 for the quarter, beating consensus analyst estimates of $0.20 by $0.13. The company posted revenue of $149.44 million in the quarter, versus a consensus estimate of $130.50 million. American Vanguard had a return on equity of 6.82% and a net margin of 4.31%. In the same quarter last year, the company posted EPS of $0.10. As a group, analysts expect American Vanguard to post earnings per share of 1.05 for the current fiscal year.
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 15. Investors of record on Friday, March 25 received a dividend of $0.025. This is an increase from American Vanguard’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.02. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 24. This represents a dividend of $0.10 on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.40%. American Vanguard’s payout ratio is currently 11.90%.
A number of large investors have recently increased or reduced their stakes in the stock. Eaton Vance Management increased its position in American Vanguard by 2.2% in the first quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 29,377 shares of the basic materials company worth $597,000 after buying 628 more shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in American Vanguard by 85.0% in Q1. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,417 shares of the basic materials company worth $29,000 after buying 651 additional shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in American Vanguard by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 39,505 shares of the basic materials company worth $647,000 after buying 713 additional shares in the last quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC increased its stake in American Vanguard by 2.2% in the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 42,997 shares of the basic materials company worth $647,000 after purchasing an additional 908 shares during the period. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in American Vanguard by 42.1% in the 1st quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,353 shares of the basic materials company worth $68,000 after buying an additional 994 shares during the period. Institutional investors hold 79.19% of the company’s shares.
AVD has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded American Vanguard from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a target price of $23.00 for the company in a Tuesday, April 5 research note. StockNews.com launched coverage on American Vanguard in a research note on Thursday, March 31. They issued a “Strong Buy” rating for the company.
American Vanguard Company Profile (Get a rating)
American Vanguard Corporation, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets specialty chemicals for agricultural, commercial and consumer use in the United States and around the world. It manufactures and formulates chemicals, including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, molluscicides, soil health, plant nutrition, growth regulators and soil fumigants in liquid, powder and granular form for crops, turf and ornamental plants, and the protection of human and animal health.
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