Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,902,084 shares, a decline of 19.2% from the February 12th total of 2,355,369 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 763,509 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days. Approximately 2.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 2.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 763,509 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on DEC shares. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Diversified Energy from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. William Blair started coverage on Diversified Energy in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Johnson Rice raised Diversified Energy from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $19.00 to $23.00 in a report on Friday, December 5th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Diversified Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Diversified Energy from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Diversified Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.00.

Insider Activity at Diversified Energy

In related news, Director Randall S. Wade sold 2,100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.28, for a total transaction of $27,888,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 7,501,585 shares in the company, valued at $99,621,048.80. This represents a 21.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Institutional Trading of Diversified Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DEC. EIG Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Diversified Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $139,031,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Diversified Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $53,894,000. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new position in Diversified Energy during the fourth quarter worth $46,334,000. Man Group plc bought a new position in Diversified Energy during the fourth quarter worth $27,463,000. Finally, Tejara Capital Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Diversified Energy by 1,903.1% in the second quarter. Tejara Capital Ltd now owns 1,905,333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,951,000 after purchasing an additional 1,810,214 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.51% of the company’s stock.

Diversified Energy Stock Up 1.9%

DEC traded up $0.28 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $14.55. 1,044,749 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 976,102. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.89 and a beta of 0.46. Diversified Energy has a twelve month low of $10.08 and a twelve month high of $16.85. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $13.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60.

Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter. Equities analysts expect that Diversified Energy will post 0.18 EPS for the current year.

Diversified Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Diversified Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 78.91%.

About Diversified Energy

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE: DEC) is an independent oil and natural gas producer focused on the acquisition and optimization of legacy onshore assets in the United States. The company’s portfolio spans thousands of producing wells and extensive leasehold positions across core regions such as Appalachia, the Permian Basin and the Mid-Continent. By targeting mature properties, Diversified Energy seeks to enhance long-term recovery through operational efficiencies and capital discipline.

The company’s business model centers on fee-based infrastructure and midstream services that provide stable and predictable cash flows.