Norwood Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:NWFL) Short Interest Down 61.6% in January

Norwood Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:NWFL) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 224,408 shares, a decline of 61.6% from the December 31st total of 584,575 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 46,163 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.9 days. Approximately 2.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 2.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 46,163 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.9 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at Norwood Financial

In other news, Director Joseph W. Carroll bought 4,000 shares of Norwood Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $28.13 per share, with a total value of $112,520.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 41,503 shares in the company, valued at $1,167,479.39. The trade was a 10.67% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director James Shook acquired 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $28.80 per share, for a total transaction of $100,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 8,330 shares in the company, valued at $239,904. This represents a 72.46% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased 9,700 shares of company stock valued at $274,770 over the last quarter. 9.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Norwood Financial by 26.5% in the fourth quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 14,364 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $403,000 after buying an additional 3,008 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Norwood Financial by 32.8% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 9,923 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $252,000 after acquiring an additional 2,450 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in Norwood Financial by 61.1% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 12,507 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $318,000 after acquiring an additional 4,742 shares in the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Norwood Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $605,000. Finally, Community Bank N.A. lifted its holdings in Norwood Financial by 91.6% during the third quarter. Community Bank N.A. now owns 6,802 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $173,000 after purchasing an additional 3,252 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.08% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Norwood Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research cut Norwood Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Norwood Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $26.50.

Norwood Financial Stock Up 3.4%

NWFL traded up $1.00 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $30.43. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 57,421 shares, compared to its average volume of 38,584. Norwood Financial has a 1 year low of $21.25 and a 1 year high of $30.59. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $281.78 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.18 and a beta of 0.61. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $28.66 and its 200-day moving average is $26.76.

Norwood Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 15th. This is an increase from Norwood Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Norwood Financial’s payout ratio is currently 42.81%.

Norwood Financial Company Profile

Norwood Financial Corporation is the bank holding company for Norwood Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts. Incorporated in 2010, the company oversees a network of branch offices serving suburban and metropolitan communities in eastern Massachusetts. Norwood Financial’s mission emphasizes personalized service, local decision-making and a commitment to supporting neighborhood growth.

The company’s primary business activities encompass a full suite of personal and commercial banking products and services.