Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) Short Interest Update

Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,800 shares, a growth of 22.6% from the January 31st total of 3,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 26,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Ashtead Group Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of OTCMKTS:ASHTY opened at $232.25 on Friday. Ashtead Group has a 1-year low of $223.72 and a 1-year high of $337.95. The company’s fifty day moving average is $255.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $283.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.69.

Ashtead Group (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.47 by ($0.38). Ashtead Group had a return on equity of 22.65% and a net margin of 14.78%. The business had revenue of $2.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.16 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that Ashtead Group will post 15.51 EPS for the current year.

Ashtead Group Cuts Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

About Ashtead Group

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.