Lazard Asset Management LLC Sells 8,819 Shares of Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (NYSE:SSD)

Lazard Asset Management LLC cut its stake in shares of Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (NYSE:SSD) by 55.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 7,045 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 8,819 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Simpson Manufacturing were worth $1,168,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Simpson Manufacturing during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Park Place Capital Corp bought a new stake in Simpson Manufacturing during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Simpson Manufacturing during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Simpson Manufacturing by 88.2% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 207 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Simpson Manufacturing by 53.4% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 273 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.68% of the company’s stock.

Simpson Manufacturing Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE SSD opened at $163.49 on Tuesday. Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $137.35 and a 12 month high of $197.82. The company has a current ratio of 3.21, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $6.84 billion, a PE ratio of 21.51 and a beta of 1.34. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $154.17 and its 200 day moving average is $166.16.

Simpson Manufacturing (NYSE:SSD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 28th. The construction company reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.14. Simpson Manufacturing had a net margin of 14.44% and a return on equity of 18.00%. The firm had revenue of $538.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $531.81 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.77 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. will post 8.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Simpson Manufacturing Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be issued a $0.29 dividend. This is an increase from Simpson Manufacturing’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 3rd. Simpson Manufacturing’s payout ratio is currently 15.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of Simpson Manufacturing from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Simpson Manufacturing from $196.00 to $192.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Simpson Manufacturing news, EVP Michael Andersen sold 1,000 shares of Simpson Manufacturing stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.98, for a total value of $169,980.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 8,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,497,523.80. The trade was a 10.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Simpson Manufacturing Profile

Simpson Manufacturing Co, Inc, through its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, manufactures, and sells structural solutions for wood, concrete, and steel connections. The company offers wood construction products, including connectors, truss plates, fastening systems, fasteners and shearwalls, and pre-fabricated lateral systems for use in light-frame construction; and concrete construction products comprising adhesives, specialty chemicals, mechanical anchors, carbide drill bits, powder actuated tools, fiber-reinforced materials, and other repair products for use in concrete, masonry, and steel construction, as well as grouts, coatings, sealers, mortars, fiberglass and fiber-reinforced polymer systems, and asphalt products for use in concrete construction repair, and strengthening and protection products.