Quantbot Technologies LP Acquires 4,360 Shares of Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP)

Quantbot Technologies LP raised its holdings in Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP) by 90.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,188 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 4,360 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in Koppers were worth $298,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Semanteon Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Koppers during the 4th quarter valued at $287,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its stake in shares of Koppers by 44.6% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 17,706 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $574,000 after buying an additional 5,461 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners bought a new stake in shares of Koppers during the 4th quarter worth about $243,000. Kennondale Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Koppers in the 4th quarter valued at about $308,000. Finally, Ironwood Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Koppers by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. Ironwood Investment Management LLC now owns 85,916 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $2,784,000 after acquiring an additional 7,000 shares during the period. 92.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Koppers Stock Performance

NYSE KOP opened at $27.93 on Friday. Koppers Holdings Inc. has a 12-month low of $27.00 and a 12-month high of $56.96. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $29.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.38. The company has a market capitalization of $572.07 million, a P/E ratio of 7.93 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 2.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83.

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

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

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 given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This is a boost from Koppers’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.15%. Koppers’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.17%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on KOP. StockNews.com raised Koppers from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 22nd. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $64.00 price objective on shares of Koppers in a report on Monday, February 24th.

Koppers Profile

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.