Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) Short Interest Down 21.1% in December

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 1,008,066 shares, a drop of 21.1% from the December 15th total of 1,277,059 shares. Currently, 6.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 563,432 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 563,432 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Currently, 6.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Sell”.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:RGR traded down $0.55 during trading on Friday, reaching $37.76. 253,125 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 387,439. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has a 52-week low of $28.33 and a 52-week high of $48.21. The business’s fifty day moving average is $32.58 and its 200-day moving average is $36.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $601.89 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 290.46 and a beta of 0.20.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.26). The firm had revenue of $126.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $124.22 million. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. had a net margin of 0.48% and a return on equity of 8.76%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.28 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. will post 2.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a $0.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $0.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 123.08%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. UBS Group AG increased its stake in shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 31.1% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 514,510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,366,000 after buying an additional 122,111 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 118.7% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 198,936 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,648,000 after acquiring an additional 107,977 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 239.4% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 100,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,962,000 after purchasing an additional 71,128 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 2,446.1% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 61,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,653,000 after purchasing an additional 58,634 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,931,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.00% of the company’s stock.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Company Profile

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc, founded in 1949 by William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm, is a leading American designer and manufacturer of firearms. Headquartered in Newport, New Hampshire, the company has established a reputation for precision engineering and durable products. Its manufacturing footprint includes facilities in Newport and Mayodan, North Carolina, where it maintains a vertically integrated production model spanning metallurgy, machining, and assembly.

The company’s product portfolio encompasses a broad range of small arms, including centerfire and rimfire rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, and accessories.