Ultrapar Participações S.A. (NYSE:UGP) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Ultrapar Participações S.A. (NYSE:UGP - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,470,000 shares, an increase of 36.3% from the December 15th total of 5,480,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,190,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.4 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ultrapar Participações

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UGP. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ultrapar Participações in the 4th quarter worth about $374,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Ultrapar Participações by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 1,811,400 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $4,764,000 after buying an additional 115,600 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 194.7% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 159,142 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $617,000 after buying an additional 105,133 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações during the third quarter valued at approximately $452,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 26.0% during the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 48,712 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $189,000 after acquiring an additional 10,037 shares in the last quarter. 3.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ultrapar Participações Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of UGP traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $2.66. The company had a trading volume of 881,537 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,475,458. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. The company has a market capitalization of $2.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.52. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $2.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.61. Ultrapar Participações has a 52 week low of $2.53 and a 52 week high of $6.34.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UGP has been the topic of several research analyst reports. HSBC upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ultrapar Participações from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Ultrapar Participações from $4.80 to $4.10 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. StockNews.com cut Ultrapar Participações from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Scotiabank raised Ultrapar Participações to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, December 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $4.10.

About Ultrapar Participações

Ultrapar Participações SA, through its subsidiaries, operates in the energy and infrastructure business in Brazil. The company distributes liquefied petroleum gas to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers, in addition to renewable electricity and compressed natural gas. It also operates in the distribution and marketing of gasoline, ethanol, diesel, fuel oil, kerosene, natural gas for vehicles, and lubricants; and holds AmPm convenience stores and provides JetOil lubricant services.