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

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 1,895,318 shares, a decrease of 18.2% from the January 15th total of 2,316,159 shares. Approximately 4.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 517,281 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 517,281 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days. Approximately 4.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Smith & Wesson Brands in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Smith & Wesson Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Smith & Wesson Brands presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $11.00.

Smith & Wesson Brands Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of SWBI traded up $0.07 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $11.75. 264,351 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 490,294. The stock has a market cap of $522.76 million, a P/E ratio of 61.85 and a beta of 1.06. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $10.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.62. Smith & Wesson Brands has a 12 month low of $7.73 and a 12 month high of $12.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 4.98 and a quick ratio of 1.58.

Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by $0.02. Smith & Wesson Brands had a return on equity of 2.34% and a net margin of 1.89%.The company had revenue of $124.67 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $123.73 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.11 EPS. Smith & Wesson Brands’s revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Smith & Wesson Brands will post 0.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Smith & Wesson Brands Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, December 18th were paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. Smith & Wesson Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 273.68%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Smith & Wesson Brands

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands during the third quarter valued at approximately $7,558,000. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its holdings in Smith & Wesson Brands by 166.1% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 753,964 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,411,000 after purchasing an additional 470,602 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Smith & Wesson Brands by 25.4% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,311,503 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,945,000 after purchasing an additional 265,370 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 41.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 712,708 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,642,000 after buying an additional 208,739 shares during the period. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 327.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 183,220 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,801,000 after buying an additional 140,368 shares during the period. 59.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Smith & Wesson Brands

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc is a leading American manufacturer of firearms and related products, designing, producing and marketing a broad array of handguns, long guns and shooting accessories. The company’s portfolio includes revolvers, semi-automatic pistols and rifles under well-known brands such as M&P® (Military & Police) and Performance Center®, which are used by military, law enforcement, commercial and private customers. In addition to complete firearms, Smith & Wesson offers suppressors, optics mounts, holsters and other shooting accessories to support a full spectrum of professional and recreational shooting activities.

Founded in 1852 by Horace Smith and Daniel B.