StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Acme United (NYSE:ACU – Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning. The firm issued a strong-buy rating on the stock.

Acme United Stock Performance

Shares of ACU stock opened at $30.46 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $108.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.94 and a beta of 0.89. Acme United has a 52-week low of $21.11 and a 52-week high of $37.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 4.09 and a quick ratio of 1.88. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.37.

Get Acme United alerts:

Acme United (NYSE:ACU – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 21st. The company reported $0.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Acme United had a return on equity of 4.85% and a net margin of 2.02%. The firm had revenue of $53.34 million during the quarter.

Acme United Announces Dividend

Insider Buying and Selling at Acme United

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 24th. Investors of record on Monday, July 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 30th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.84%. Acme United’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.38%.

In related news, COO Brian S. Olschan sold 3,930 shares of Acme United stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.49, for a total value of $104,105.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 41,103 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,088,818.47. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Acme United news, COO Brian S. Olschan sold 3,930 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.49, for a total value of $104,105.70. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 41,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,088,818.47. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO Brian S. Olschan sold 7,070 shares of Acme United stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.14, for a total value of $206,019.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 41,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,197,741.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,860 shares of company stock worth $358,951. 34.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UBS Group AG purchased a new stake in shares of Acme United during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Acme United by 9.4% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,192 shares of the company’s stock worth $154,000 after buying an additional 531 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Acme United in the second quarter valued at about $205,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Acme United by 16.6% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,195 shares of the company’s stock worth $278,000 after acquiring an additional 1,165 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Acme United by 47.0% in the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 8,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $189,000 after acquiring an additional 2,768 shares during the period. 62.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Acme United

(Get Free Report)

Acme United Corporation supplies first aid and safety, cutting, sharpening, and measuring products to the school, home, office, hardware, sporting goods, and industrial markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company offers scissors, shears, knives, rulers, pencil sharpeners, paper trimmers, safety cutters, lettering products, glue guns, and other craft products under the Westcott brand name; and cutting tools under the Clauss brand.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Acme United Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Acme United and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.