Koppers (NYSE:KOP) Reaches New 12-Month Low – What’s Next?

Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $25.58 and last traded at $25.93, with a volume of 76935 shares. The stock had previously closed at $27.89.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KOP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $64.00 target price on shares of Koppers in a report on Monday, February 24th. StockNews.com raised shares of Koppers from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 22nd.

Koppers Stock Down 3.8 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 2.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $29.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $33.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $512.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.11 and a beta of 1.74.

Koppers (NYSE:KOP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.95 by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $477.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $497.00 million. Koppers had a net margin of 3.55% and a return on equity of 16.71%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Koppers Holdings Inc. will post 4.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Koppers Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This is an increase from Koppers’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 7th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.28%. Koppers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.17%.

Koppers announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, February 27th that permits the company to buyback $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty chemicals company to repurchase up to 16.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Koppers

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Koppers during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Koppers by 277.2% during the third quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 1,520 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,117 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Koppers by 145.1% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,027 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Koppers in the fourth quarter worth $69,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in Koppers by 345.6% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 2,905 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 2,253 shares during the period. 92.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Koppers

Koppers Holdings Inc provides treated wood products, wood preservation chemicals, and carbon compounds in the United States, Australasia, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Railroad and Utility Products and Services (RUPS), Performance Chemicals (PC), and Carbon Materials and Chemicals (CMC) segments.