Nordson Co. (NASDAQ:NDSN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Nordson Co. (NASDAQ:NDSN) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the seven analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $256.20.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $237.00 target price (down previously from $294.00) on shares of Nordson in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Loop Capital upgraded shares of Nordson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $255.00 to $280.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. KeyCorp raised Nordson from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $260.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Seaport Res Ptn raised Nordson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on Nordson from $295.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 13th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nordson

In related news, EVP Stephen Lovass sold 1,299 shares of Nordson stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $206.79, for a total transaction of $268,620.21. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,347 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,519,286.13. This trade represents a 15.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nordson

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Nordson by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 89,333 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $18,692,000 after purchasing an additional 6,662 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Nordson by 9.9% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,579 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $958,000 after buying an additional 414 shares during the last quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH bought a new stake in shares of Nordson during the 4th quarter worth about $8,648,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in shares of Nordson during the 4th quarter valued at about $15,292,000. Finally, Forum Financial Management LP bought a new position in shares of Nordson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $204,000. 72.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Nordson Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:NDSN opened at $200.46 on Monday. Nordson has a 52 week low of $196.83 and a 52 week high of $279.38. The company has a current ratio of 2.53, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.50, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.92. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $213.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $232.12.

Nordson (NASDAQ:NDSN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $615.42 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $639.40 million. Nordson had a net margin of 16.93% and a return on equity of 19.28%. Analysts anticipate that Nordson will post 10.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Nordson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.56%. Nordson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.69%.

Nordson Company Profile

Nordson Corporation engineers, manufactures, and markets products and systems to dispense, apply, and control adhesives, coatings, polymers, sealants, biomaterials, and other fluids worldwide. It operates through three segments: Industrial Precision Solutions; Medical and Fluid Solutions; and Advanced Technology Solutions.