Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC) Short Interest Up 19.8% in February

Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 5,369,930 shares, a growth of 19.8% from the February 12th total of 4,484,251 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,378,278 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.9 days. Currently, 7.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 7.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,378,278 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.9 days.

Moelis & Company Stock Performance

NYSE:MC traded up $1.31 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $53.17. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,358,223 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,384,493. Moelis & Company has a 52-week low of $47.00 and a 52-week high of $78.22. The business’s 50-day moving average is $66.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.96. The company has a market capitalization of $4.16 billion, a PE ratio of 18.09, a PEG ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.90.

Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The asset manager reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $487.94 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $430.17 million. Moelis & Company had a net margin of 15.36% and a return on equity of 41.67%. The business’s revenue was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.18 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Moelis & Company will post 2.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Moelis & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $0.65 per share. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. Moelis & Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.44%.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel Osamu R. Watanabe sold 2,765 shares of Moelis & Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.23, for a total value of $172,065.95. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 4,981 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $309,967.63. This trade represents a 35.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 6.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moelis & Company

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Moelis & Company by 89.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 389 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in Moelis & Company during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Moelis & Company by 64.4% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 416 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Moelis & Company by 153.9% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 419 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Finally, eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in Moelis & Company during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. 91.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on MC. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Moelis & Company from $89.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Moelis & Company in a research note on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Moelis & Company from $74.00 to $59.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Moelis & Company from $80.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on Moelis & Company in a report on Monday, January 26th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $81.00 price objective on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $75.44.

Moelis & Company Company Profile

Moelis & Co operates as a holding company. It engages in the provision of financial advisory, capital raising and asset management services to a client base including corporations, governments, sovereign wealth funds and financial sponsors. The firm focuses on clients including large public multinational corporations, middle market private companies, financial sponsors, entrepreneurs and governments. The company was founded by Kenneth David Moelis, Navid Mahmoodzadegan, Jeffrey Raich and Elizabeth Ann Crain in July 2007 and is headquartered in New York, NY.