Phibro Animal Health Co. (NASDAQ:PAHC) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Phibro Animal Health Co. (NASDAQ:PAHC) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 726,000 shares, a drop of 23.1% from the February 28th total of 943,800 shares. Currently, 3.6% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 249,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days.

Phibro Animal Health Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of Phibro Animal Health stock traded down $0.16 on Wednesday, hitting $21.81. 75,271 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 184,370. Phibro Animal Health has a 12-month low of $12.17 and a 12-month high of $26.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 3.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.99. The company has a market cap of $883.37 million, a PE ratio of 45.44, a PEG ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $22.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.69.

Phibro Animal Health (NASDAQ:PAHC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.14. Phibro Animal Health had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 1.75%. Sell-side analysts predict that Phibro Animal Health will post 1.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Phibro Animal Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 5th. Phibro Animal Health’s payout ratio is presently 100.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on PAHC shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Phibro Animal Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. Barclays upped their price target on Phibro Animal Health from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Phibro Animal Health from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Phibro Animal Health presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.00.

Institutional Trading of Phibro Animal Health

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Phibro Animal Health during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Phibro Animal Health by 2,739.7% during the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 1,589 shares in the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Phibro Animal Health in the fourth quarter worth about $69,000. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Phibro Animal Health during the 4th quarter worth about $69,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Phibro Animal Health during the 3rd quarter valued at about $70,000. 99.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Phibro Animal Health Company Profile

Phibro Animal Health Corporation operates as an animal health and mineral nutrition company in the United States, Israel, Brazil, Ireland, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Animal Health, Mineral Nutrition, and Performance Products. The company develops, manufactures, and markets various products for food and companion animals including poultry, swine, beef and dairy cattle, aquaculture, and dogs.