Dorman Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:DORM) Short Interest Up 43.0% in December

Dorman Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:DORM - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 631,300 shares, a growth of 43.0% from the November 30th total of 441,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 167,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.8 days. Currently, 2.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Scott Leff sold 5,536 shares of Dorman Products stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.66, for a total transaction of $734,405.76. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 13,336 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,769,153.76. This trade represents a 29.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Steven L. Berman sold 2,633 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.52, for a total transaction of $348,925.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 833,812 shares in the company, valued at approximately $110,496,766.24. This trade represents a 0.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 36,593 shares of company stock valued at $4,907,310. Company insiders own 10.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Westside Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Dorman Products during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Dorman Products during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Dorman Products by 5,460.0% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 278 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in shares of Dorman Products by 781.4% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 379 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 336 shares during the period. Finally, Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in Dorman Products during the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.70% of the company's stock.

Dorman Products Price Performance

NASDAQ DORM traded down $0.94 on Monday, reaching $131.25. 151,677 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 138,760. The stock has a market cap of $4.01 billion, a PE ratio of 21.95 and a beta of 0.87. Dorman Products has a 12 month low of $79.20 and a 12 month high of $146.60. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $132.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $114.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.34 and a quick ratio of 1.16.

Dorman Products (NASDAQ:DORM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The auto parts company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $503.77 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $509.54 million. Dorman Products had a net margin of 9.43% and a return on equity of 16.95%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.40 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Dorman Products will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on DORM shares. CJS Securities started coverage on shares of Dorman Products in a report on Friday, September 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $134.00 price target on the stock. Roth Mkm reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $153.00 target price (up previously from $126.00) on shares of Dorman Products in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Dorman Products presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $125.67.

About Dorman Products

Dorman Products, Inc supplies replacement and upgrade parts for passenger cars, light trucks, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, utility terrain vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles in the motor vehicle aftermarket industry in the United States and internationally. It offers engine products, including intake and exhaust manifolds, fans, thermostat housings, and throttle bodies; undercar products comprising fluid lines, fluid reservoirs, connectors, 4-wheel drive components and axles, drain plugs, other engine, and transmission and axle components; steering and suspension products consist of control arms, ball joints, tie-rod ends, brake hardware and hydraulics, wheel and axle hardware, suspension arms, knuckles, links, bushings, and leaf springs, as well as other suspension, steering, and brake components; body products, such as door handles and hinges, window lift motors, window regulators, switches and handles, wiper components, lighting, electrical, and other interior and exterior vehicle body components, including windshields for UTVs; electronics products comprise new and remanufactured modules, clusters and sensors; and hardware products, such as threaded bolts and auto body fasteners, automotive and home electrical wiring components, and other hardware assortments and merchandise.