Cetera Investment Advisers Buys New Shares in Acme United Co. $ACU

Cetera Investment Advisers bought a new position in Acme United Co. (NYSE:ACU) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 5,244 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $208,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ACU. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Acme United by 13.7% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 4,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $165,000 after acquiring an additional 536 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Acme United by 11.2% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 6,846 shares of the company’s stock worth $256,000 after purchasing an additional 691 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Acme United during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in shares of Acme United by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 17,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $645,000 after buying an additional 996 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Management Corp VA grew its holdings in Acme United by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Capital Management Corp VA now owns 574,071 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,739,000 after purchasing an additional 4,222 shares during the last quarter. 62.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Acme United from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th.

Acme United Stock Up 7.8%

Shares of NYSE ACU opened at $43.19 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $41.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 4.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $164.08 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.83 and a beta of 0.68. Acme United Co. has a 52-week low of $34.35 and a 52-week high of $45.42.

Acme United (NYSE:ACU) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Acme United had a net margin of 10.25% and a return on equity of 9.70%.

Acme United Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 3rd were given a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 3rd. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a boost from Acme United’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Acme United’s payout ratio is presently 25.40%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Brian S. Olschan sold 1,001 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.01, for a total value of $40,050.01. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 41,209 shares in the company, valued at $1,648,772.09. This represents a 2.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 34.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Acme United Profile

Acme United Corporation supplies cutting, measuring, first aid, and sharpening products to the school, home, office, hardware, sporting goods, and industrial markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company offers scissors, shears, knives, rulers, pencil sharpeners, paper trimmers, safety cutters, lettering products, glue guns, and other craft products under the Westcott brand name; and cutting tools under the Clauss brand.