Donaldson (NYSE:DCI) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Here’s Why

Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $65.10 and last traded at $66.21, with a volume of 369 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $68.30.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on DCI shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Donaldson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Donaldson from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Donaldson from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.00.

Donaldson Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $7.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.01. The business has a 50 day moving average of $69.24 and a 200 day moving average of $71.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Donaldson (NYSE:DCI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $870.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $908.32 million. Donaldson had a net margin of 11.56% and a return on equity of 29.07%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Donaldson Company, Inc. will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Donaldson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 13th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.67%. Donaldson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Thomas R. Scalf sold 28,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.22, for a total transaction of $1,972,770.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 28,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,961,279.48. This trade represents a 50.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Donaldson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Argent Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Donaldson by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Argent Trust Co now owns 4,739 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $319,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Donaldson by 43.2% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 597 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in Donaldson by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 3,738 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $252,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Donaldson by 48.8% during the 4th quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 595 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Donaldson by 28.7% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 925 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. 82.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Donaldson

Donaldson Company, Inc manufactures and sells filtration systems and replacement parts worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Mobile Solutions, Industrial Solutions, and Life Sciences. Its Mobile Solutions segment provides replacement filters for air and liquid filtration applications, such as air filtration systems; liquid filtration systems for fuel, lube, and hydraulic applications; exhaust and emissions systems and sensors; indicators; and monitoring systems.