Donaldson (NYSE:DCI) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s Why

Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $104.78 and last traded at $105.5960, with a volume of 22590 shares. The stock had previously closed at $103.41.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on DCI. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Donaldson in a report on Friday, January 9th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Donaldson from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $110.00 target price on Donaldson in a research report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Donaldson to $123.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Donaldson from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $72.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.25.

Donaldson Stock Up 3.6%

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $94.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $85.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.35 billion, a PE ratio of 33.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.39.

Donaldson (NYSE:DCI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 3rd. The industrial products company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.01. Donaldson had a return on equity of 30.24% and a net margin of 10.25%.The firm had revenue of $935.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $922.68 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.83 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Donaldson Company, Inc. will post 3.64 EPS for the current year.

Donaldson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 12th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Donaldson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.38%.

Insider Transactions at Donaldson

In other news, Director Ajita G. Rajendra sold 19,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.04, for a total value of $1,822,392.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 43,993 shares in the company, valued at $4,049,115.72. This trade represents a 31.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Bradley J. Pogalz sold 566 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.57, for a total value of $51,828.62. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,741.38. This represents a 56.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Donaldson

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Donaldson by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 8,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $763,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Donaldson by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,440 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $305,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of Donaldson by 9.6% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank raised its stake in shares of Donaldson by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 21,713 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,777,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Donaldson by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 7,291 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $506,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the period. 82.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Donaldson

Donaldson Company, Inc (NYSE: DCI) is a global provider of filtration systems and replacement parts for a wide range of industries. The company develops and manufactures air, liquid and gas filtration solutions for engine and industrial applications, helping customers improve performance, lower emissions and extend equipment life. Donaldson’s product portfolio includes engine air intake filters, fuel filters, hydraulic filters, compressor filters, dust collection systems and gas turbine air intake systems.

Serving markets such as agriculture, construction, mining, power generation, aerospace and original equipment manufacturing, Donaldson operates through two primary business segments: Engine Products and Industrial Products.