Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) Short Interest Update

Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 400 shares, a decrease of 89.5% from the February 13th total of 3,800 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 25,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on ASHTY shares. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Ashtead Group from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ashtead Group in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut Ashtead Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Ashtead Group Stock Down 0.2 %

Ashtead Group stock opened at $226.55 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $24.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.06, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.77. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $253.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $282.21. Ashtead Group has a 12 month low of $223.72 and a 12 month high of $337.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09.

Ashtead Group (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $3.09 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $2.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.16 billion. Equities analysts predict that Ashtead Group will post 15.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ashtead Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 10th were given a dividend of $1.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 10th. Ashtead Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.97%.

About Ashtead Group

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.