Atrion (NASDAQ:ATRI) Downgraded by StockNews.com to “Sell”

StockNews.com lowered shares of Atrion (NASDAQ:ATRI) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report published on Wednesday morning.

Atrion Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of Atrion stock opened at $426.88 on Wednesday. Atrion has a 12-month low of $274.98 and a 12-month high of $615.30. The company has a market cap of $751.31 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.70 and a beta of 0.60. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $408.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $364.93.

Atrion (NASDAQ:ATRI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 29th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Atrion had a net margin of 11.46% and a return on equity of 8.07%. The firm had revenue of $43.58 million for the quarter.

Atrion Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th were issued a $2.20 dividend. This represents a $8.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. Atrion’s payout ratio is 79.78%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atrion

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its stake in Atrion by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 35,091 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $13,292,000 after purchasing an additional 1,609 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Atrion by 2.4% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,385 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,291,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Atrion by 2.0% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,006 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,134,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Penn Mutual Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Atrion in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,949,000. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI purchased a new stake in Atrion in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,114,000. 66.19% of the stock is 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 ophthalmic 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.