Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) Short Interest Up 120.0% in September

Ashtead Group plc (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,100 shares, an increase of 120.0% from the August 31st total of 500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 39,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on ASHTY. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ashtead Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Barclays upgraded Ashtead Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st.

Ashtead Group Stock Up 1.0 %

ASHTY stock opened at $314.00 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $282.40 and a 200-day moving average of $284.59. Ashtead Group has a fifty-two week low of $221.86 and a fifty-two week high of $316.06. The company has a market capitalization of $34.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.54, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.17.

Ashtead Group (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, September 3rd. The company reported $3.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.85 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.74 billion. Ashtead Group had a return on equity of 23.60% and a net margin of 14.94%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Ashtead Group will post 15.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Ashtead Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 25th. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were given a $3.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This is a positive change from Ashtead Group’s previous dividend of $0.58. Ashtead Group’s payout ratio is 47.81%.

About Ashtead Group

Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services.