Acadian Asset Management Inc. (NYSE:AAMI) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Acadian Asset Management Inc. (NYSE:AAMI) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 1,693,662 shares, an increase of 58.0% from the September 15th total of 1,071,734 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 447,445 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.8 days. Currently, 6.2% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Institutional Trading of Acadian Asset Management

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AAMI. Paulson & CO. Inc. bought a new stake in Acadian Asset Management in the second quarter valued at about $417,912,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Acadian Asset Management in the second quarter worth about $320,877,000. Azora Capital LP acquired a new position in Acadian Asset Management in the second quarter worth about $35,474,000. Amundi bought a new position in Acadian Asset Management during the second quarter worth about $22,694,000. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp bought a new position in Acadian Asset Management during the first quarter worth about $15,325,000. 98.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Acadian Asset Management Trading Up 0.3%

AAMI stock traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $93.12. The stock had a trading volume of 50,267 shares, compared to its average volume of 386,259. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.90 and a beta of 1.31. Acadian Asset Management has a 52 week low of $41.47 and a 52 week high of $98.52. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $92.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $79.80.

Acadian Asset Management (NYSE:AAMI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $183.20 million for the quarter. Acadian Asset Management had a net margin of 15.17% and a return on equity of 189.32%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Acadian Asset Management will post 5.51 EPS for the current year.

Acadian Asset Management Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. Acadian Asset Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.13%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on AAMI shares. Zacks Research lowered Acadian Asset Management from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Acadian Asset Management from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Acadian Asset Management from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen cut Acadian Asset Management from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Acadian Asset Management from $81.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $94.00.

About Acadian Asset Management

Acadian Asset Management is a global investment management firm that uses quantitative and systematic research to design and manage portfolios for institutional and intermediary clients. The company applies data-driven processes, technology and fundamental analysis to identify investment opportunities and manage risk across global markets.

Its offerings include actively managed strategies in global and emerging-market equities, fixed income, multi-asset portfolios and alternative investments.