Evolution Petroleum Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:EPM) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Evolution Petroleum Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:EPM) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 1,260,000 shares, an increase of 10.5% from the September 15th total of 1,140,000 shares. Approximately 4.2% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 276,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.6 days.

Evolution Petroleum Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN EPM traded down $0.05 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $5.34. 165,304 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 300,178. Evolution Petroleum has a twelve month low of $4.59 and a twelve month high of $6.72. The company has a market capitalization of $178.14 million, a P/E ratio of 67.38 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

Evolution Petroleum (NYSEAMERICAN:EPM) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, September 10th. The energy company reported $0.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $21.23 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.44 million. Evolution Petroleum had a net margin of 4.75% and a return on equity of 5.30%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Evolution Petroleum will post 0.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Evolution Petroleum Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 20th were issued a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 20th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.99%. Evolution Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is currently 600.08%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Evolution Petroleum to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 11th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Evolution Petroleum

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EPM. Principal Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Evolution Petroleum during the 1st quarter worth approximately $95,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Evolution Petroleum by 0.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,611,605 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $9,895,000 after acquiring an additional 8,904 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Evolution Petroleum in the second quarter valued at $305,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Evolution Petroleum by 40.1% in the first quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 69,315 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $426,000 after purchasing an additional 19,855 shares during the period. Finally, SpiderRock Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Evolution Petroleum during the 1st quarter worth $71,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.07% of the company’s stock.

Evolution Petroleum Company Profile

Evolution Petroleum Corporation, an energy company, engages in the development, production, ownership, and exploitation of onshore oil and gas properties in the United States. The company holds interests in a CO2 enhanced oil recovery project in Louisiana's Delhi field. Its Delhi Holt-Bryant Unit covers an area of approximately 13,636 acres located in Northeast Louisiana.