Short Interest in Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN) Rises By 22.9%

Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN) was the target of a large increase in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 26,715,600 shares, an increase of 22.9% from the January 29th total of 21,745,689 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,621,568 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days. Approximately 16.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 16.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,621,568 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Huntsman Stock Performance

NYSE HUN opened at $13.10 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $2.28 billion, a PE ratio of -7.99 and a beta of 0.66. Huntsman has a 1-year low of $7.30 and a 1-year high of $18.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $11.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $10.39.

Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The basic materials company reported ($0.37) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.29) by ($0.08). Huntsman had a negative net margin of 5.00% and a negative return on equity of 3.97%. The company had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.34 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.25) earnings per share. Huntsman’s revenue was down 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Huntsman will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Huntsman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.0875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Huntsman’s dividend payout ratio is currently -21.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HUN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Huntsman from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Huntsman in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Huntsman from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Huntsman from $9.00 to $12.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Huntsman in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $12.41.

Institutional Trading of Huntsman

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in Huntsman during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new position in Huntsman during the third quarter worth $33,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Huntsman by 104.9% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,935 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 2,015 shares during the period. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in Huntsman by 2,182.0% during the third quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 4,313 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 4,124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd lifted its position in shares of Huntsman by 986.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 6,505 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 5,906 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.81% of the company’s stock.

About Huntsman

Huntsman Corporation is a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals with headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas. Founded in 1970 by entrepreneur Jon Huntsman Sr., the company has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to establish a broad portfolio of products serving diverse end markets. Huntsman maintains a presence in more than 30 countries, operating manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East.

The company organizes its operations into several core business segments, including Polyurethanes, Performance Products, Advanced Materials, and Textile Effects.