Atrion (NASDAQ:ATRI) Shares Gap Up on Insider Buying Activity

Atrion Co. (NASDAQ:ATRI) gapped up prior to trading on Thursday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The stock had previously closed at $289.29, but opened at $300.00. Atrion shares last traded at $300.00, with a volume of 978 shares trading hands.

Specifically, CEO David A. Battat purchased 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 16th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $300.00 per share, with a total value of $90,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 39,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,820,000. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 22.70% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Atrion from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, October 21st.

Atrion Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $524.48 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.67 and a beta of 0.57. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $378.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $483.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 7.58 and a quick ratio of 2.15.

Atrion Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Investors of record on Friday, December 1st will be issued a dividend of $2.20 per share. This represents a $8.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.95%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 30th. Atrion’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 72.85%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in Atrion by 38.0% during the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 69 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new position in Atrion in the third quarter valued at about $60,000. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in Atrion in the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in Atrion by 63.1% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in Atrion by 44.1% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. 65.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Atrion

Atrion Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells products for fluid delivery, cardiovascular, and ophthalmology applications in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company's fluid delivery products include valves that fill, hold, and release controlled amounts of fluids or gasses for use in various intubation, intravenous, catheter, and other applications in the anesthesia and oncology fields, as well as promote infection control in hospital and home healthcare environments.