Short Interest in Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY) Expands By 255.3%

Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 66,800 shares, an increase of 255.3% from the March 31st total of 18,800 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 107,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.6 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Orkla ASA from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th.

Orkla ASA Stock Performance

ORKLY traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $12.10. The stock had a trading volume of 21,391 shares, compared to its average volume of 32,276. Orkla ASA has a 1 year low of $6.58 and a 1 year high of $12.10. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $10.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.65. The stock has a market cap of $12.07 billion, a PE ratio of 21.61 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter. Orkla ASA had a net margin of 8.58% and a return on equity of 13.13%. The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter.

Orkla ASA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.6871 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 5.82%. This is a positive change from Orkla ASA's previous dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 28th. Orkla ASA's payout ratio is presently 121.43%.

Orkla ASA Company Profile

Orkla ASA engages in branded consumer goods, and industrial and financial investment businesses. The company offers branded products, including frozen pizza, ketchup, soups, sauces, bread toppings, and ready-to-eat meals through grocery channels, as well as food service, convenience stores, and petrol stations.

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