Kennedy Capital Management LLC Purchases 45,203 Shares of Astec Industries, Inc. $ASTE

Kennedy Capital Management LLC increased its position in Astec Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTE) by 15.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 342,563 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 45,203 shares during the quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Astec Industries were worth $14,840,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. iSAM Funds UK Ltd bought a new position in Astec Industries in the third quarter worth $50,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Astec Industries by 8,994.1% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,546 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 1,529 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in shares of Astec Industries by 412.0% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,212 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $92,000 after acquiring an additional 1,780 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Astec Industries during the fourth quarter valued at $182,000. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Astec Industries during the third quarter valued at $203,000. 93.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Astec Industries Stock Performance

Astec Industries stock opened at $51.37 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $54.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Astec Industries, Inc. has a 12-month low of $36.43 and a 12-month high of $65.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.37.

Astec Industries (NASDAQ:ASTE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The industrial products company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by ($0.34). Astec Industries had a net margin of 1.75% and a return on equity of 10.09%. The business had revenue of $396.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $393.24 million. On average, research analysts anticipate that Astec Industries, Inc. will post 3.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Astec Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th were issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 13th. Astec Industries’s payout ratio is currently 46.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ASTE shares. Weiss Ratings cut Astec Industries from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Longbow Research raised Astec Industries to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Freedom Capital raised Astec Industries to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Wall Street Zen cut Astec Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Zacks Research cut Astec Industries from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Astec Industries Company Profile

Astec Industries, Inc is a designer and manufacturer of specialized equipment for infrastructure-related markets. Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the company develops, engineers and produces machinery for asphalt road-building, aggregate processing, concrete production, underground mining, landscaping and utility installation. Astec’s product portfolio includes asphalt plants, portable crushers, conveyors, screening plants, mixers, continuous miners and related support equipment.

Organized into multiple operating segments—Roadbuilding; Aggregate & Mining; Energy; and Pavement Preservation & Maintenance—Astec Industries serves contractors and municipalities that build and maintain transportation, energy and utility networks.