StealthGas, Inc. (NASDAQ:GASS) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

StealthGas, Inc. (NASDAQ:GASS) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 53,573 shares, a decrease of 48.6% from the June 30th total of 104,253 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 119,498 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days. Approximately 0.2% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded StealthGas from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Institutional Trading of StealthGas

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GASS. Towerview LLC lifted its holdings in StealthGas by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Towerview LLC now owns 3,067,500 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $21,534,000 after purchasing an additional 160,000 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in StealthGas during the 4th quarter valued at about $552,000. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in StealthGas by 31.3% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 237,238 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,554,000 after buying an additional 56,493 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in shares of StealthGas by 51.3% during the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 153,211 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,076,000 after buying an additional 51,920 shares during the period. Finally, Militia Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of StealthGas during the first quarter valued at about $422,000. 66.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

StealthGas Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of GASS stock traded up $0.08 during trading on Thursday, reaching $8.84. 56,779 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 144,965. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $8.88 and its 200 day moving average is $8.92. The company has a market capitalization of $331.68 million, a P/E ratio of 5.26 and a beta of 0.25. StealthGas has a 1 year low of $6.12 and a 1 year high of $10.55.

StealthGas (NASDAQ:GASS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 5th. The shipping company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $42.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.40 million. StealthGas had a net margin of 35.91% and a return on equity of 8.72%.

About StealthGas

StealthGas Inc is an international shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), including propane, butane and ammonia. The company operates a fleet of modern pressurized LPG carriers with capacities ranging from approximately 2,500 to 9,100 cubic meters, providing safe and efficient carriage of petrochemical gases worldwide.

Founded in 2005 and incorporated in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, StealthGas is headquartered in Athens, Greece, with additional commercial and operational offices in major shipping centers across Europe and Asia.