Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 413,600 shares, a growth of 33.9% from the September 30th total of 308,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 165,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Willdan Group Stock Up 2.5 %

Shares of Willdan Group stock traded up $1.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $45.34. 169,748 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 95,792. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 1.81 and a quick ratio of 1.81. Willdan Group has a 1-year low of $17.09 and a 1-year high of $46.64. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $40.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $34.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $634.31 million, a PE ratio of 36.86 and a beta of 1.41.

Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The construction company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.15. Willdan Group had a net margin of 3.10% and a return on equity of 12.06%. The company had revenue of $141.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $123.07 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.19 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Willdan Group will post 1.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WLDN. Wedbush began coverage on shares of Willdan Group in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $51.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Willdan Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Roth Mkm boosted their price target on shares of Willdan Group from $34.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Willdan Group news, CEO Michael A. Bieber sold 750 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.46, for a total transaction of $27,345.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 169,726 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,188,209.96. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CFO Creighton K. Early sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.45, for a total value of $364,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 68,342 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,491,065.90. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Michael A. Bieber sold 750 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.46, for a total transaction of $27,345.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 169,726 shares in the company, valued at $6,188,209.96. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 30,305 shares of company stock valued at $1,105,451 in the last ninety days. 9.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. nVerses Capital LLC raised its holdings in Willdan Group by 125.0% during the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 900 shares of the construction company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Willdan Group during the third quarter worth $44,000. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Willdan Group during the second quarter worth $48,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Willdan Group by 168.3% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,750 shares of the construction company's stock worth $78,000 after buying an additional 1,725 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new position in Willdan Group during the first quarter worth $90,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company's stock.

About Willdan Group

Willdan Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional, technical, and consulting services primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Energy, and Engineering and Consulting. The Energy segment offers comprehensive audit and surveys, program design and implementation, master planning, demand reduction, grid optimization, benchmarking analyses, design engineering, construction management, performance contracting, installation, alternative financing, measurement and verification services, and software and data analytics, as well as energy consulting and engineering, turnkey facility and infrastructure projects, and customer support services.