The York Water Company (NASDAQ:YORW) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

The York Water Company (NASDAQ:YORW - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 177,000 shares, a growth of 44.7% from the December 15th total of 122,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 52,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On York Water

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of York Water by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 473,568 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $17,835,000 after purchasing an additional 40,746 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in York Water by 297.0% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 22,371 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $838,000 after buying an additional 16,736 shares in the last quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in York Water in the fourth quarter valued at about $828,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of York Water by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,666 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,370,000 after acquiring an additional 2,828 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of York Water by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 343,279 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $12,862,000 after acquiring an additional 3,082 shares in the last quarter. 49.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

York Water Stock Performance

Shares of YORW stock traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $30.85. 47,874 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 60,630. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.68. The company's 50 day moving average is $34.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.77. The company has a market cap of $443.44 million, a P/E ratio of 20.84 and a beta of 0.64. York Water has a 1 year low of $30.02 and a 1 year high of $41.96.

York Water Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.2192 dividend. This is a boost from York Water's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.84%. York Water's dividend payout ratio is presently 58.78%.

About York Water

The York Water Company impounds, purifies, and distributes drinking water. It owns and operates three wastewater collection systems; ten wastewater collection and treatment systems; and two reservoirs, including Lake Williams and Lake Redman, which hold approximately 2.2 billion gallons of water. The company also operates a 15-mile pipeline from the Susquehanna River to Lake Redman; and owns satellite groundwater systems in York, Adams, and Lancaster Counties, as well as two impounding dams on primary system located in York and Springfield Townships.