Short Interest in Innospec Inc. (NASDAQ:IOSP) Expands By 28.9%

Innospec Inc. (NASDAQ:IOSP) was the target of a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 383,909 shares, a growth of 28.9% from the January 29th total of 297,899 shares. Currently, 1.6% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 195,715 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Based on an average trading volume of 195,715 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Currently, 1.6% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on IOSP. Zacks Research lowered shares of Innospec from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Innospec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, December 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Innospec from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Insider Buying and Selling at Innospec

In related news, Director Milton C. Blackmore sold 594 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.56, for a total value of $45,476.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,530 shares in the company, valued at approximately $806,176.80. This represents a 5.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Larry Padfield sold 594 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.56, for a total value of $45,476.64. Following the transaction, the director owned 9,453 shares in the company, valued at approximately $723,721.68. This represents a 5.91% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 4,989 shares of company stock valued at $391,889 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Innospec

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IOSP. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in Innospec during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Innospec by 378.1% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 545 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Innospec by 271.0% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 575 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 420 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Innospec by 1,159.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 529 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP increased its position in Innospec by 31.0% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 588 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.64% of the company’s stock.

Innospec Stock Performance

Shares of IOSP stock opened at $77.02 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.46, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.90. Innospec has a one year low of $70.10 and a one year high of $102.25. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $81.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $79.07.

Innospec (NASDAQ:IOSP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.26 by $0.24. Innospec had a return on equity of 10.18% and a net margin of 6.56%.The firm had revenue of $455.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $460.87 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.41 earnings per share. Innospec’s quarterly revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Innospec will post 6.18 EPS for the current year.

More Innospec News

Here are the key news stories impacting Innospec this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional accumulation reported — Western Standard, Goldman Sachs, Millennium Management and Norges Bank all increased or initiated positions, signalling heavy institutional demand that can support the share price. Institutional Ownership and Activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest update published; this doesn’t change fundamentals but could amplify moves if short positions cover or build. Short Interest Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed — upgrades from some boutique services offset by a Zacks downgrade; MarketBeat shows a consensus tilt toward “Reduce,” which may limit upside until guidance or fundamentals improve. Analyst Ratings
• Negative Sentiment: SVP David B. Jones sold 1,028 shares at an average $75.64 (~$77.8k); his stake declined ~6.5% — insider selling can be perceived negatively by the market. David B. Jones Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Director David Landless sold 594 shares at $76.56 (~$45.5k); his holding dropped ~7.2%. David Landless SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Director Larry Padfield sold 594 shares at $76.56 (~$45.5k); his stake declined ~5.9%. Larry Padfield Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Director Milton C. Blackmore sold 594 shares at $76.56 (~$45.5k); position down ~5.3%. Milton C. Blackmore Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Director Claudia Poccia sold 119 shares at $76.56 (~$9.1k); a smaller, but additional insider sale disclosed via SEC filing. Claudia Poccia SEC Filing

Innospec Company Profile

Innospec Incorporated (NASDAQ: IOSP) is a global specialty chemicals company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The company operates through three principal business segments: Fuel Specialties, Oilfield Services, and Performance Chemicals. In the Fuel Specialties segment, Innospec develops and supplies additives designed to enhance octane levels, improve combustion efficiency, reduce emissions and prevent deposit formation in gasoline and diesel engines. Its Oilfield Services division provides chemical technologies—such as surfactants, corrosion inhibitors and demulsifiers—to support exploration, drilling, production optimization and enhanced oil recovery operations.