Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PWOD) Short Interest Up 19.4% in January

Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PWOD) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 28,300 shares, a growth of 19.4% from the December 31st total of 23,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 22,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.3 days.

Penns Woods Bancorp Trading Down 0.6 %

Penns Woods Bancorp stock traded down $0.19 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $30.24. 9,592 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,690. The stock has a market capitalization of $228.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.81 and a beta of 0.47. Penns Woods Bancorp has a 12 month low of $17.01 and a 12 month high of $34.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $26.71.

Penns Woods Bancorp (NASDAQ:PWOD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.57 earnings per share for the quarter. Penns Woods Bancorp had a net margin of 14.87% and a return on equity of 9.26%.

Penns Woods Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 10th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.23%. Penns Woods Bancorp’s payout ratio is 54.24%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Penns Woods Bancorp

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new position in Penns Woods Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Penns Woods Bancorp by 471.9% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,680 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $183,000 after acquiring an additional 6,337 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new stake in shares of Penns Woods Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at $205,000. Zullo Investment Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Penns Woods Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at $207,000. Finally, Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Penns Woods Bancorp by 19.2% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 14,880 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $353,000 after acquiring an additional 2,398 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.94% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on Penns Woods Bancorp in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company.

About Penns Woods Bancorp

Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Jersey Shore State Bank, which provides commercial and retail banking services to individuals, partnerships, non-profit organizations, and corporations. It accepts time, demand, and savings deposits, including super NOW accounts, statement savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as checking and individual retirement account (IRAs) accounts.