Short Interest in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (NYSE:BLX) Decreases By 60.2%

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (NYSE:BLX) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 164,215 shares, a decrease of 60.2% from the February 12th total of 412,436 shares. Currently, 0.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 164,141 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 164,141 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days. Currently, 0.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior Trading Up 0.8%

NYSE BLX opened at $48.19 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a PE ratio of 7.89 and a beta of 0.83. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior has a 1-year low of $31.14 and a 1-year high of $51.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $47.59 and a 200-day moving average of $46.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior (NYSE:BLX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The bank reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $88.80 million for the quarter. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior had a return on equity of 14.85% and a net margin of 27.11%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior will post 4.6 EPS for the current year.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be issued a $0.6875 dividend. This is a positive change from Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 25th. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.01%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior by 21.9% in the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 3,485 shares of the bank’s stock worth $140,000 after acquiring an additional 626 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co. purchased a new position in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior in the fourth quarter valued at about $200,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior during the second quarter valued at about $273,000. Finally, Ramirez Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior by 12.0% during the third quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. now owns 39,988 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,838,000 after acquiring an additional 4,270 shares during the last quarter. 19.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on BLX shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Strong Buy”.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior Company Profile

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior SA, commonly known as BLADEx and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BLX, is a multilateral financial institution dedicated to promoting foreign trade and regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean. Headquartered in Panama City, the bank provides specialized trade finance solutions to corporate clients and financial institutions, helping to facilitate cross-border transactions across key markets in the region. Its services encompass import and export financing, supply chain solutions, project and structured finance, as well as treasury and risk management products.

Established in 1977 by a consortium of 20 Latin American and Caribbean governments in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), BLADEx has a mandate to support economic development through trade facilitation.