Northern Trust Corp Has $8.06 Million Stock Holdings in Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP)

Northern Trust Corp increased its position in Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP) by 12.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 248,805 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 28,425 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp owned 1.23% of Koppers worth $8,061,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in KOP. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Koppers during the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Koppers by 145.1% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,027 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Koppers during the 4th quarter valued at about $69,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in Koppers during the 4th quarter valued at about $136,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Koppers by 196.7% during the 4th quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 5,637 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $183,000 after purchasing an additional 3,737 shares during the last quarter. 92.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Koppers Price Performance

Koppers stock opened at $31.29 on Monday. Koppers Holdings Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.99 and a 52 week high of $44.64. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $26.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 2.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83. The stock has a market cap of $626.03 million, a P/E ratio of 8.89 and a beta of 1.44.

Koppers (NYSE:KOP) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.15. Koppers had a net margin of 3.55% and a return on equity of 16.71%. The firm had revenue of $456.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $488.00 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.62 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Koppers Holdings Inc. will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Koppers declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program 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 reacquire up to 16.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Koppers Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 30th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. Koppers’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KOP has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Koppers from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 22nd. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $64.00 price target on shares of Koppers in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th.

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.