Short Interest in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) Decreases By 12.7%

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,810,000 shares, a decline of 12.7% from the February 28th total of 7,800,000 shares. Currently, 2.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,120,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.1 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile in the fourth quarter worth approximately $120,395,000. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC boosted its position in shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 3,302,897 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $120,093,000 after purchasing an additional 177,323 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,965,641 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $71,470,000 after purchasing an additional 18,255 shares during the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC raised its position in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,071,339 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $38,954,000 after purchasing an additional 18,748 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile during the fourth quarter worth $35,832,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 12.41% of the company's stock.

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Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile Price Performance

Shares of SQM traded down $2.68 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $36.73. 1,921,082 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,068,980. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $40.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 2.05 and a current ratio of 2.94. The company has a market cap of $10.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -33.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.00 and a beta of 0.99. Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile has a 12-month low of $32.24 and a 12-month high of $51.90.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.10). Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile had a negative net margin of 6.74% and a positive return on equity of 16.12%. The business had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. Research analysts expect that Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile will post -1.31 earnings per share for the current year.

About Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA operates as a mining company worldwide. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers under Ultrasol, Qrop, Speedfol, Allganic, Ultrasoline, ProP, and Prohydric brands. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, agricultural, industrial, and human and animal nutrition products comprising x-ray contrast media, biocides, antiseptics and disinfectants, pharmaceutical intermediates, polarizing films for LCD and LED screens, chemicals, organic compounds, and pigments, as well as added to edible salt to prevent iodine deficiency disorders.