CSG Systems International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSGS) Sees Significant Decline in Short Interest

CSG Systems International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSGS) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,610,000 shares, a decrease of 11.5% from the January 15th total of 1,820,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 251,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.4 days. Currently, 5.8% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CSG Systems International

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CSGS. Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its stake in CSG Systems International by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 1,065,484 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $54,457,000 after acquiring an additional 88,216 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in CSG Systems International in the 4th quarter worth about $4,222,000. Dean Investment Associates LLC increased its stake in CSG Systems International by 116.1% in the 3rd quarter. Dean Investment Associates LLC now owns 119,248 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $5,801,000 after acquiring an additional 64,066 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new position in CSG Systems International in the 4th quarter worth about $1,300,000. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in CSG Systems International in the 4th quarter worth about $925,000. 91.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CSG Systems International Price Performance

CSGS traded down $0.82 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $63.33. 221,722 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 294,494. The company’s 50-day moving average is $54.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.28. The company has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88. CSG Systems International has a 12-month low of $39.56 and a 12-month high of $65.53.

CSG Systems International (NASDAQ:CSGS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The technology company reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.20. CSG Systems International had a return on equity of 39.42% and a net margin of 7.25%. Research analysts forecast that CSG Systems International will post 3.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CSG Systems International Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This is a boost from CSG Systems International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 19th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.02%. CSG Systems International’s dividend payout ratio is 39.47%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Northland Securities restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective (up previously from $78.00) on shares of CSG Systems International in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of CSG Systems International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on CSG Systems International from $64.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com cut CSG Systems International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on CSG Systems International from $58.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $71.17.

About CSG Systems International

CSG Systems International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides revenue management and digital monetization, customer experience, and payment solutions primarily to the communications industry in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It offers Advanced Convergent Platform, a private SaaS platform; and related solutions, including service technician management, analytics, electronic bill presentment, etc.