Darling Ingredients (NYSE:DAR) Reaches New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $66.74 and last traded at $67.57, with a volume of 90529 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $65.74.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DAR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised Darling Ingredients from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Stephens raised their price target on Darling Ingredients from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Darling Ingredients from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Darling Ingredients from $61.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Darling Ingredients from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.00.

Darling Ingredients Trading Up 2.7%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 3.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $58.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.43. The firm has a market cap of $10.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.14 and a beta of 1.02.

Darling Ingredients (NYSE:DAR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $2.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $1.01. The firm had revenue of $1.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.71 billion. Darling Ingredients had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 13.23%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.08 EPS. Analysts predict that Darling Ingredients Inc. will post 6.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Nicholas James Kemphaus sold 1,591 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.05, for a total value of $100,312.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 35,087 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,212,235.35. This represents a 4.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Charles L. Adair bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $60.97 per share, with a total value of $60,970.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 51,690 shares in the company, valued at $3,151,539.30. This trade represents a 1.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Darling Ingredients

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DAR. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Darling Ingredients by 69.9% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 423 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Darling Ingredients by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,625 shares of the company’s stock valued at $472,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Darling Ingredients by 2.9% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $481,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Darling Ingredients by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,701 shares of the company’s stock worth $277,000 after acquiring an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Darling Ingredients by 35.0% in the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,042 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.44% of the company’s stock.

About Darling Ingredients

Darling Ingredients Inc (NYSE: DAR) is a global leader in converting edible and inedible bio-nutrient streams into sustainable food, feed ingredients, renewable fuels and specialty products. Founded in 1882 and headquartered in Irving, Texas, the company builds on more than a century of experience in animal rendering and by-product recycling. Over time, Darling has expanded its capabilities beyond traditional rendering to include advanced processing technologies that support a circular economy and reduce waste from food and agricultural industries.

The company’s core operations revolve around four primary segments: Feed Ingredients & Services, Food & Nutrition, Fuel Ingredients & Services, and Specialty Ingredients.