Short Interest in Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PWOD) Increases By 85.0%

Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PWOD - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 19,800 shares, an increase of 85.0% from the November 30th total of 10,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 18,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.1 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Penns Woods Bancorp during the second quarter worth $39,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Penns Woods Bancorp by 471.9% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,680 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $183,000 after purchasing an additional 6,337 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in shares of Penns Woods Bancorp in the 2nd quarter worth about $205,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Penns Woods Bancorp during the second quarter valued at about $223,000. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Penns Woods Bancorp by 19.2% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 14,880 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $353,000 after buying an additional 2,398 shares during the last quarter. 27.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Penns Woods Bancorp Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:PWOD traded down $0.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $30.39. 12,119 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,301. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $29.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $24.84. Penns Woods Bancorp has a 12-month low of $17.01 and a 12-month high of $34.56. The stock has a market cap of $229.26 million, a P/E ratio of 11.51 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24.

Penns Woods Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.21%. Penns Woods Bancorp's dividend payout ratio is currently 48.48%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Penns Woods Bancorp in a report on Friday. They set a "hold" rating for the company.

Penns Woods Bancorp Company Profile

Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Jersey Shore State Bank, which provides commercial and retail banking services to individuals, partnerships, non-profit organizations, and corporations. It accepts time, demand, and savings deposits, including super NOW accounts, statement savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as checking and individual retirement account (IRAs) accounts.

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