Short Interest in Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) Decreases By 89.5%

Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY - Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 400 shares, a drop of 89.5% from the February 13th total of 3,800 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the company's shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 25,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days.

Ashtead Group Trading Up 3.1 %

Shares of ASHTY traded up $7.00 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $229.98. 12,848 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 32,146. The company's fifty day moving average price is $253.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $281.44. The company has a market capitalization of $25.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.77. 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 12 month low of $222.43 and a 12 month high of $337.95.

Ashtead Group (OTCMKTS:ASHTY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.47 by ($0.38). The company had revenue of $2.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.16 billion. Ashtead Group had a net margin of 14.78% and a return on equity of 22.65%. Equities research analysts predict that Ashtead Group will post 15.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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Ashtead Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 10th were paid a dividend of $1.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 10th. Ashtead Group's payout ratio is 19.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ASHTY shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Ashtead Group in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Ashtead Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Ashtead Group from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy".

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.