Diana Shipping inc. (NYSE:DSX) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Diana Shipping inc. (NYSE:DSX) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,629,734 shares, an increase of 22.4% from the February 12th total of 1,331,452 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,026,435 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.6 days. Currently, 1.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 1.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,026,435 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.6 days.

Diana Shipping Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of DSX stock traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $2.32. The company had a trading volume of 469,320 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,041,667. The company’s fifty day moving average is $2.29 and its 200 day moving average is $1.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 2.29 and a quick ratio of 2.24. Diana Shipping has a fifty-two week low of $1.27 and a fifty-two week high of $2.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $268.05 million, a PE ratio of 21.05 and a beta of 0.64.

Diana Shipping (NYSE:DSX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The shipping company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Diana Shipping had a return on equity of 3.60% and a net margin of 8.35%.The firm had revenue of $52.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $52.00 million.

Diana Shipping Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be given a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 11th. Diana Shipping’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.36%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diana Shipping

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA acquired a new stake in shares of Diana Shipping in the third quarter valued at $72,000. Mercuria Capital Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Diana Shipping during the 4th quarter worth about $88,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Diana Shipping in the 4th quarter valued at about $112,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in Diana Shipping by 66.8% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 70,879 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 28,384 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Diana Shipping by 407.4% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 80,684 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $136,000 after buying an additional 64,784 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 48.68% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on DSX shares. Wall Street Zen raised Diana Shipping from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diana Shipping in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

About Diana Shipping

Diana Shipping Inc is a global shipping company incorporated in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and headquartered in Athens, Greece. The company specializes in the ownership and operation of dry bulk vessels that transport a variety of commodities, including coal, iron ore, grains, fertilizers, steel products and other bulk materials. Diana Shipping’s fleet comprises Panamax, Capesize, Newcastlemax and Supramax/Newcastlemax segments, enabling it to address the needs of customers on key global trade routes.

The company conducts its operations by chartering vessels on short?term voyage charters and longer?term period charters.