ICL Group Ltd (NYSE:ICL) Short Interest Down 22.8% in January

ICL Group Ltd (NYSE:ICL - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,590,000 shares, a decline of 22.8% from the December 31st total of 2,060,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 797,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.0 days. Currently, 0.2% of the company's stock are short sold.

ICL Group Stock Up 0.6 %

ICL traded up $0.04 during trading on Thursday, hitting $5.95. 202,961 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 776,084. ICL Group has a 12-month low of $3.79 and a 12-month high of $6.18. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $5.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $4.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.18, a PEG ratio of 6.90 and a beta of 1.22.

ICL Group (NYSE:ICL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 11th. The basic materials company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.73 billion. ICL Group had a return on equity of 8.31% and a net margin of 5.83%. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.11 EPS. Analysts predict that ICL Group will post 0.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ICL Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 4th were paid a dividend of $0.0133 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 4th. This represents a $0.05 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.89%. ICL Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 48.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ICL has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded ICL Group from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Barclays raised shares of ICL Group from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $4.00 to $6.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 21st.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quantbot Technologies LP grew its position in shares of ICL Group by 35.6% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 11,380 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 2,985 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in ICL Group by 223.7% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 10,715 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 7,405 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ICL Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in ICL Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Finally, Litman Gregory Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ICL Group during the 3rd quarter worth $56,000. 13.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About ICL Group

ICL Group Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty minerals and chemicals company worldwide. It operates in four segments: Industrial Products, Potash, Phosphate Solutions, and Growing Solutions. The Industrial Products segment produces bromine out of a solution that is a by-product of the potash production process, as well as bromine-based compounds; produces various grades of potash, salt, magnesium chloride, and magnesia products; and produces and markets phosphorous-based flame retardants and other phosphorus-based products.