Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Boosts Stock Holdings in Griffon Corporation $GFF

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH grew its position in Griffon Corporation (NYSE:GFF) by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 86,500 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,773 shares during the quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned about 0.19% of Griffon worth $6,587,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Griffon by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,647 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $278,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Griffon in the third quarter valued at about $220,000. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI lifted its stake in shares of Griffon by 23.9% in the third quarter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI now owns 52,911 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $4,029,000 after buying an additional 10,210 shares in the last quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Griffon during the third quarter worth about $279,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Griffon by 15.8% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,040 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. 73.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Griffon Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of Griffon stock opened at $83.44 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $76.41 and a 200 day moving average of $76.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.99, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 2.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 83.44, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.31. Griffon Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $63.92 and a fifty-two week high of $86.11.

Griffon (NYSE:GFF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The conglomerate reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.56 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $662.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $631.47 million. Griffon had a net margin of 2.03% and a return on equity of 181.66%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.47 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Griffon Corporation will post 5.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Griffon Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This is a boost from Griffon’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. Griffon’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GFF has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Griffon from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. CJS Securities upgraded Griffon to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Stephens boosted their price objective on Griffon from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Zacks Research raised Griffon from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Griffon in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.60.

Griffon Profile

Griffon Corporation (NYSE:GFF) is a diversified management and holding company whose subsidiaries design, manufacture and market products for residential, commercial and defense applications. Operating through three primary platforms—Home & Building Products, Defense Electronics and Specialty Industrial—Griffon’s portfolio spans consumer and industrial brands with a focus on long-lived products and recurring aftermarket opportunities.

In the Home & Building Products segment, Griffon’s Clopay Building Products division is a leading North American manufacturer of residential and commercial garage doors, specializing in steel, fiberglass and composite designs as well as decorative carriage-house styles.