Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) Short Interest Down 85.5% in January

Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) saw a significant drop in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,100 shares, a drop of 85.5% from the January 15th total of 21,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 47,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Ashtead Group Price Performance

Shares of ASHTY traded up $4.38 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $255.26. 11,607 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 39,715. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The business has a 50-day moving average of $263.91 and a 200 day moving average of $286.28. Ashtead Group has a one year low of $235.29 and a one year high of $337.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.09, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.69.

Ashtead Group (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 10th. The company reported $4.64 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.96 by ($0.32). Ashtead Group had a net margin of 14.78% and a return on equity of 22.65%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Ashtead Group will post 15.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ashtead Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 24th. Investors of record on Friday, January 10th will be given a $1.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 10th. Ashtead Group’s payout ratio is 19.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on ASHTY shares. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Ashtead Group from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Ashtead Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th.

Ashtead Group Company Profile

Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services.