Andersons (NASDAQ:ANDE) Shares Gap Up After Earnings Beat

The Andersons, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE) shares gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. 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 trading hands.

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

Andersons Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 22nd. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.63%. Andersons’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.29%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on ANDE shares. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Andersons in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Andersons from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th.

Insider Transactions at Andersons

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Andersons

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ANDE. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in Andersons in the 4th quarter valued at $973,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Andersons by 15.5% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 92,692 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,756,000 after acquiring an additional 12,430 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Andersons in the fourth quarter worth about $8,651,000. Vident Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Andersons by 16.5% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 10,984 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $445,000 after purchasing an additional 1,554 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its position in Andersons by 374.1% during the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 47,410 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,921,000 after purchasing an additional 37,410 shares during the period. 87.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Andersons Stock Up 17.3 %

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $41.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market cap 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.