Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE:VTOL) Short Interest Down 17.7% in February

Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE:VTOL) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 710,856 shares, a decline of 17.7% from the January 29th total of 863,564 shares. Approximately 2.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 189,912 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.7 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 189,912 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.7 days. Approximately 2.8% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Jennifer Dawn Whalen sold 26,667 shares of Bristow Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.90, for a total value of $1,250,682.30. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 108,241 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,076,502.90. This trade represents a 19.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Lorin L. Brass sold 3,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.04, for a total transaction of $159,380.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 18,455 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $905,033.20. This trade represents a 14.97% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 57,904 shares of company stock valued at $2,725,426 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 13.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Bristow Group

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTOL. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Bristow Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Bristow Group by 1,450.7% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of Bristow Group by 1,645.3% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,053 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in Bristow Group by 208.4% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,351 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 913 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Bristow Group during the 1st quarter valued at $44,000. Institutional investors own 93.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VTOL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Bristow Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Bristow Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Bristow Group in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. JonesTrading initiated coverage on Bristow Group in a report on Friday, January 23rd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Bristow Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Bristow Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $60.00.

Bristow Group Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of VTOL traded down $0.63 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $44.24. 45,779 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 205,868. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 1.90. The company has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a PE ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.35. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $42.64 and its 200-day moving average is $39.42. Bristow Group has a 52 week low of $25.11 and a 52 week high of $49.55.

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $377.26 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $380.33 million. Bristow Group had a return on equity of 12.87% and a net margin of 8.66%.

Bristow Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%.

About Bristow Group

Bristow Group Inc is a global provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations worldwide. The company specializes in the safe and efficient transport of personnel, equipment and supplies to offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as emergency response and medevac services. Bristow’s operations support exploration, production and decommissioning activities, helping energy companies maintain continuity of production in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

The company maintains a diverse fleet of turbine-powered helicopters, including medium- and heavy-lift aircraft such as the Sikorsky S-92, Airbus H225 (formerly EC225) and Leonardo AW189.