Short Interest in Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina S.A. Sponsored ADR (NYSE:LOMA) Drops By 28.7%

Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina S.A. Sponsored ADR (NYSE:LOMA) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 2,005,749 shares, a decline of 28.7% from the February 26th total of 2,814,599 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 457,188 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days. Currently, 1.7% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $14.80.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Systrade AG lifted its stake in shares of Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina by 75.9% in the third quarter. Systrade AG now owns 382,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,822,000 after buying an additional 165,245 shares during the period. RWC Asset Management LLP raised its holdings in Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina by 21.8% in the 3rd quarter. RWC Asset Management LLP now owns 1,436,459 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,587,000 after acquiring an additional 257,318 shares in the last quarter. Aberdeen Group plc raised its holdings in Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 1,201,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,044,000 after acquiring an additional 171,210 shares in the last quarter. Helikon Investments Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,787,000. Finally, M&G PLC bought a new stake in shares of Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $5,968,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 19.32% of the company’s stock.

Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LOMA traded down $0.34 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $10.03. 374,713 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 476,783. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $10.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.63. Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina has a 1-year low of $7.04 and a 1-year high of $14.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.72 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.48.

Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina (NYSE:LOMA) last announced its earnings results on Sunday, February 15th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $165.73 million for the quarter. Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina had a net margin of 2.97% and a return on equity of 2.25%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina SA is the leading cement producer in Argentina, with a history dating back to its founding in Buenos Aires in 1926. The company operates an integrated network of cement and lime plants, as well as quarries and ready-mix concrete facilities. Its operations encompass the extraction of limestone, the production of clinker, hydraulic cement and quicklime, and the distribution of aggregates and concrete for a wide range of construction projects.

The company’s product portfolio serves residential, commercial, industrial and public infrastructure markets across Argentina.