Short Interest in UMH Properties, Inc. (NYSE:UMH) Rises By 51.4%

UMH Properties, Inc. (NYSE:UMH - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,120,000 shares, an increase of 51.4% from the July 31st total of 739,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 465,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days.

UMH Properties Stock Performance

Shares of UMH stock traded down $0.10 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $19.20. The stock had a trading volume of 352,267 shares, compared to its average volume of 399,109. UMH Properties has a 12-month low of $13.26 and a 12-month high of $19.79. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.25. The company has a current ratio of 6.77, a quick ratio of 6.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49.

UMH Properties (NYSE:UMH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22 by ($0.21). UMH Properties had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 3.17%. The firm had revenue of $60.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $59.84 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.21 EPS. Research analysts expect that UMH Properties will post 0.93 EPS for the current year.

UMH Properties Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.215 per share. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. UMH Properties's dividend payout ratio is presently -573.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UMH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. B. Riley upped their price objective on shares of UMH Properties from $18.50 to $22.50 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Wedbush lifted their price objective on UMH Properties from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Alliance Global Partners started coverage on UMH Properties in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $21.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com raised UMH Properties from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, William Blair reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of UMH Properties in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $21.25.

Insider Activity at UMH Properties

In other news, Director Michael P. Landy purchased 4,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 18th. The shares were bought at an average price of $15.45 per share, with a total value of $72,615.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 341,796 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,280,748.20. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other UMH Properties news, Director Kiernan Conway sold 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.54, for a total transaction of $52,758.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 412 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,050.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael P. Landy bought 4,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $15.45 per share, for a total transaction of $72,615.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 341,796 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,280,748.20. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 8.63% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of UMH Properties

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its position in UMH Properties by 843.9% during the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 2,020 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,806 shares in the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in UMH Properties by 382.8% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 2,158 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,711 shares in the last quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC purchased a new stake in UMH Properties during the 2nd quarter worth about $71,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in UMH Properties by 52.7% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 5,379 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 1,856 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in UMH Properties in the 4th quarter worth about $156,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.40% of the company's stock.

UMH Properties Company Profile

UMH Properties, Inc, which was organized in 1968, is a public equity REIT that owns and operates 135 manufactured home communities containing approximately 25,800 developed homesites. These communities are located in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Maryland, Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia.