Ensign Peak Advisors Inc Sells 2,427 Shares of NewMarket Co. (NYSE:NEU)

Ensign Peak Advisors Inc decreased its position in shares of NewMarket Co. (NYSE:NEU) by 45.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,902 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 2,427 shares during the quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc’s holdings in NewMarket were worth $1,533,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of NewMarket by 166.7% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 48 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of NewMarket in the 4th quarter valued at $56,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new stake in shares of NewMarket in the 4th quarter valued at $59,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of NewMarket by 55.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 118 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of NewMarket in the 4th quarter valued at $74,000. Institutional investors own 61.09% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at NewMarket

In related news, CAO Bruce R. Hazelgrove III sold 311 shares of NewMarket stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $642.43, for a total value of $199,795.73. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $229,989.94. This trade represents a 46.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 19.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

NewMarket Stock Performance

NYSE:NEU opened at $645.88 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $572.56 and a 200-day moving average of $544.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.40 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. NewMarket Co. has a twelve month low of $480.00 and a twelve month high of $649.38.

NewMarket (NYSE:NEU) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $13.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. NewMarket had a net margin of 16.59% and a return on equity of 35.48%. The business had revenue of $700.95 million during the quarter.

NewMarket Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Monday, June 16th will be given a $2.75 dividend. This represents a $11.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 16th. NewMarket’s payout ratio is currently 21.89%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of NewMarket from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th.

NewMarket Profile

NewMarket Corporation, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the manufacture and sale of petroleum additives. The company offers lubricant additives for use in various vehicle and industrial applications, including engine oils, transmission fluids, off-road powertrain and hydraulic systems, gear oils, hydraulic oils, turbine oils, and other applications where metal-to-metal moving parts are utilized; engine oil additives designed for passenger cars, motorcycles, on and off-road heavy duty commercial equipment, locomotives, and engines in ocean-going vessels; driveline additives designed for products, such as transmission fluids, axle fluids, and off-road powertrain fluids; and industrial additives designed for products for industrial applications consisting of hydraulic fluids, grease, industrial gear fluids, and industrial specialty applications, such as turbine oils.