Short Interest in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI) Grows By 36.1%

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,000,000 shares, an increase of 36.1% from the January 31st total of 1,470,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 592,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.4 days. Approximately 4.6% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Smith & Wesson Brands Trading Up 0.5 %

SWBI traded up $0.05 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $10.80. 416,021 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 400,912. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $10.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $475.23 million, a PE ratio of 13.85 and a beta of 1.09. Smith & Wesson Brands has a fifty-two week low of $9.68 and a fifty-two week high of $18.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 3.97.

Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 5th. The company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.17 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $129.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $133.53 million. Smith & Wesson Brands had a net margin of 7.00% and a return on equity of 8.78%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.14 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Smith & Wesson Brands will post 0.47 EPS for the current year.

Smith & Wesson Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 19th were paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 19th. Smith & Wesson Brands’s payout ratio is presently 66.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on SWBI. Lake Street Capital upgraded Smith & Wesson Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $13.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th. Craig Hallum downgraded shares of Smith & Wesson Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the company from $18.00 to $13.00 in a research report on Friday, December 6th.

Institutional Trading of Smith & Wesson Brands

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 1,198.2% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,908 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 2,684 shares in the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Smith & Wesson Brands during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Smith & Wesson Brands during the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in Smith & Wesson Brands by 238.6% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 4,933 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 3,476 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caption Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.33% of the company’s stock.

About Smith & Wesson Brands

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture, design, and provision of firearms. Its portfolio includes handguns, long guns, handcuffs, suppressor, and other firearm-related products. The firm’s brands are Smith & Wesson, M&P, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech.