Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) Short Interest Update

Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,800 shares, a growth of 22.6% from the January 31st total of 3,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 26,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Ashtead Group Price Performance

Ashtead Group stock opened at $236.84 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $255.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $283.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.78, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. Ashtead Group has a 52-week low of $223.72 and a 52-week high of $337.95.

Ashtead Group (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $3.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.47 by ($0.38). Ashtead Group had a net margin of 14.78% and a return on equity of 22.65%. The business had revenue of $2.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.16 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ashtead Group will post 15.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ashtead Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 24th. Investors of record on Friday, January 10th were issued a $1.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 10th. Ashtead Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ASHTY has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Ashtead Group from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Ashtead Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th.

Ashtead Group Company Profile

Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services.