Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI) Short Interest Update

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,420,000 shares, a decrease of 35.5% from the December 31st total of 2,200,000 shares. Currently, 3.3% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 619,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on SWBI shares. Lake Street Capital raised shares of Smith & Wesson Brands from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $13.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, January 27th. Craig Hallum lowered shares of Smith & Wesson Brands from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $18.00 to $13.00 in a research report on Friday, December 6th.

Smith & Wesson Brands Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SWBI traded down $0.05 during trading on Friday, hitting $10.49. 398,159 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 366,811. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $10.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.90. The company has a market cap of $461.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.45 and a beta of 1.02. Smith & Wesson Brands has a 52-week low of $9.68 and a 52-week high of $18.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 3.97 and a quick ratio of 1.43.

Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 5th. The company reported $0.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.17 by ($0.06). Smith & Wesson Brands had a net margin of 7.00% and a return on equity of 8.78%. The company had revenue of $129.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $133.53 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.14 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Smith & Wesson Brands will post 0.47 EPS for the current year.

Smith & Wesson Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 19th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.96%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 19th. Smith & Wesson Brands's dividend payout ratio is 66.67%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Smith & Wesson Brands

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 2,773.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,126 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 2,052 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Smith & Wesson Brands by 1,198.2% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,908 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 2,684 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 823.8% in the third quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 4,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 3,567 shares during the period. Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands during the 3rd quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands in the second quarter valued at about $59,000. 59.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Smith & Wesson Brands

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture, design, and provision of firearms. Its portfolio includes handguns, long guns, handcuffs, suppressor, and other firearm-related products. The firm's brands are Smith & Wesson, M&P, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech.