Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (NYSE:APAM) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (NYSE:APAM) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 5,723,607 shares, a growth of 40.8% from the January 29th total of 4,064,465 shares. Currently, 8.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 702,904 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 8.1 days. Based on an average trading volume of 702,904 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 8.1 days. Currently, 8.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Artisan Partners Asset Management

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Artisan Partners Asset Management during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Artisan Partners Asset Management in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Community Bank N.A. bought a new stake in shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management increased its holdings in shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management by 112.5% in the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 850 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.45% of the company’s stock.

Artisan Partners Asset Management Trading Down 1.3%

NYSE:APAM traded down $0.52 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $39.90. 706,706 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 612,376. The company has a market capitalization of $3.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company’s 50 day moving average is $42.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.48. Artisan Partners Asset Management has a twelve month low of $32.75 and a twelve month high of $48.50.

Artisan Partners Asset Management (NYSE:APAM) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The asset manager reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $335.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $322.13 million. Artisan Partners Asset Management had a return on equity of 73.73% and a net margin of 24.26%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.05 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Artisan Partners Asset Management will post 3.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Artisan Partners Asset Management Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a yield of 134.0%. Artisan Partners Asset Management’s dividend payout ratio is presently 100.75%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APAM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Artisan Partners Asset Management from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Artisan Partners Asset Management from $51.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $44.00.

About Artisan Partners Asset Management

Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc is a global investment management firm that specializes in active, fundamental research-driven strategies across a range of equity, fixed income and alternative asset classes. Founded in 1994 by Andrew Ziegler, the company has built a reputation for its team-based approach to portfolio construction, emphasizing deep sector expertise and independent analysis. Its product lineup includes U.S. and international equity strategies, global emerging markets, as well as credit and multisector fixed income offerings.

Artisan Partners serves a diverse client base that spans institutional investors, intermediaries and high-net-worth individuals located in North America, Europe and Asia.