FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,080,000 shares, an increase of 16.4% from the July 31st total of 928,100 shares. Approximately 4.2% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 463,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.3 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of FutureFuel from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. HC Wainwright lifted their price target on shares of FutureFuel from $0.70 to $0.80 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th.

FutureFuel Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE FF traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $6.24. The stock had a trading volume of 235,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 500,321. The firm has a market cap of $273.08 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.57 and a beta of 0.63. FutureFuel has a fifty-two week low of $4.15 and a fifty-two week high of $8.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $5.47 and a 200-day moving average of $5.68.

FutureFuel (NYSE:FF) last issued its earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The energy company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $72.41 million for the quarter. FutureFuel had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 15.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Paul Manheim bought 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were bought at an average price of $6.10 per share, with a total value of $36,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 19,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $116,528.30. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, insider Charles W. Lyon purchased 11,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $4.36 per share, for a total transaction of $49,704.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 11,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,704. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Paul Manheim purchased 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $6.10 per share, for a total transaction of $36,600.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 19,103 shares in the company, valued at $116,528.30. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought a total of 76,302 shares of company stock valued at $356,399 in the last quarter. 40.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its stake in shares of FutureFuel by 1.0% in the first quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 333,753 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,687,000 after acquiring an additional 3,460 shares during the last quarter. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new stake in FutureFuel during the second quarter worth about $26,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in FutureFuel by 821.9% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,029 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 5,375 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of FutureFuel by 27.3% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,238 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $129,000 after purchasing an additional 5,408 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its position in FutureFuel by 4.9% during the first quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 172,808 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $1,391,000 after purchasing an additional 8,003 shares during the period. 44.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About FutureFuel

FutureFuel Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells diversified chemical, bio-based fuel, and bio-based specialty chemical products in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Chemicals and Biofuels. The Chemicals segment provides various custom chemicals that are used in the coatings, chemical intermediates, industrial and consumer cleaning, oil and gas, and specialty polymers industries; and performance chemicals, such as polymer modifiers, glycerin products, and various specialty chemicals and solvents.