WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Thursday. The stock had previously closed at $194.23, but opened at $199.73. WD-40 shares last traded at $198.3750, with a volume of 2,833 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on WDFC shares. Weiss Ratings cut WD-40 from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Zacks Research lowered shares of WD-40 from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of WD-40 in a report on Friday, July 10th. Northcoast Research raised shares of WD-40 to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of WD-40 from $270.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $305.00.

WD-40 Trading Up 1.0%

The stock has a market cap of $2.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.27 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The business has a 50-day moving average of $216.57 and a 200-day moving average of $218.61.

WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.75. WD-40 had a return on equity of 33.53% and a net margin of 13.23%.The company had revenue of $195.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $172.79 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.54 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 24.3% compared to the same quarter last year. WD-40 has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.050-6.350 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that WD-40 Company will post 6.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Patricia Olsem sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.73, for a total value of $70,119.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 4,774 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,115,827.02. This represents a 5.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.78% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of WD-40

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of WD-40 during the 2nd quarter valued at $505,734,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in WD-40 by 41.9% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 411,312 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $83,883,000 after purchasing an additional 121,358 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in WD-40 during the second quarter worth $29,162,000. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC acquired a new position in WD-40 during the second quarter worth $9,155,000. Finally, DRH Investments Inc. bought a new position in WD-40 during the fourth quarter valued at about $7,264,000. 91.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

WD-40 Company Profile

WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC) develops and markets maintenance, homecare, and cleaning products for consumers, professional tradespeople, and industrial users. Its best-known product is WD-40 Multi-Use Product, a spray designed to displace moisture, lubricate, protect against corrosion, and loosen stuck parts.

The company also offers specialized products under the WD-40 Specialist brand, including lubricants, degreasers, rust removers, and other maintenance solutions. Its portfolio includes 3-IN-ONE lubricants and other products for household, automotive, industrial, and outdoor applications, as well as bicycle care products sold under the WD-40 Bike brand.

Founded in 1953 as Rocket Chemical Company, WD-40 Company is based in San Diego, California.