GeoPark Limited (NYSE:GPRK) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

GeoPark Limited (NYSE:GPRK) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,360,000 shares, a growth of 43.0% from the February 28th total of 1,650,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 778,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.0 days. Approximately 6.3% of the company’s shares are sold short.

GeoPark Stock Performance

GPRK stock remained flat at $8.08 during trading on Tuesday. The company had a trading volume of 544,176 shares, compared to its average volume of 532,136. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $8.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.87. GeoPark has a 1-year low of $7.24 and a 1-year high of $11.72. The firm has a market cap of $413.40 million, a PE ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.28.

GeoPark (NYSE:GPRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 5th. The oil and gas company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by ($0.43). GeoPark had a net margin of 14.97% and a return on equity of 57.93%. The firm had revenue of $143.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $141.00 million. Research analysts forecast that GeoPark will post 1.97 EPS for the current year.

GeoPark Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 19th were issued a dividend of $0.147 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 19th. This represents a $0.59 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.28%. GeoPark’s payout ratio is currently 32.22%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of GeoPark from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in GeoPark in the third quarter valued at approximately $294,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new stake in shares of GeoPark in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,834,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd grew its stake in GeoPark by 67.6% in the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 79,674 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $627,000 after acquiring an additional 32,131 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in GeoPark in the 3rd quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its position in GeoPark by 392.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 8,974 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 7,151 shares during the period. 68.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

GeoPark Company Profile

GeoPark Limited operates as an oil and natural gas exploration and production company primarily in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and other Latin American countries. It engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas reserves. The company was formerly known as GeoPark Holdings Limited and changed its name to GeoPark Limited in July 2013.