Ennis, Inc. (NYSE:EBF) Short Interest Update

Ennis, Inc. (NYSE:EBF - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,090,000 shares, a growth of 22.3% from the March 15th total of 891,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 190,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.7 days. Approximately 4.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Ennis Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE EBF traded down $0.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $17.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 22,475 shares, compared to its average volume of 187,081. The stock has a market capitalization of $465.50 million, a P/E ratio of 11.25 and a beta of 0.40. Ennis has a 1-year low of $17.15 and a 1-year high of $25.75. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $20.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.72.

Ennis (NYSE:EBF - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $92.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $95.60 million. Ennis had a return on equity of 12.16% and a net margin of 10.35%.

Ennis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, April 14th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 14th. Ennis's payout ratio is currently 64.52%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ennis

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ennis by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,649,924 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $33,196,000 after buying an additional 32,343 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP increased its stake in Ennis by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,485,200 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,323,000 after acquiring an additional 5,601 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Ennis by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 723,432 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $15,260,000 after purchasing an additional 16,508 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Ennis by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 629,143 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $13,269,000 after purchasing an additional 31,985 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ennis by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 617,207 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $13,017,000 after purchasing an additional 133,036 shares during the period. 74.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Ennis from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday.

Ennis Company Profile

Ennis, Inc manufactures and sells business forms and other business products in the United States. The company offers snap sets, continuous forms, laser cut sheets, tags, labels, envelopes, integrated products, jumbo rolls, and pressure sensitive products under the Ennis, Royal Business Forms, Block Graphics, 360º Custom Labels, ColorWorx, Enfusion, Uncompromised Check Solutions, VersaSeal, Ad Concepts, FormSource Limited, Star Award Ribbon Company, Witt Printing, B&D Litho, Genforms, PrintGraphics, Calibrated Forms, PrintXcel, Printegra, Forms Manufacturers, Mutual Graphics, TRI-C Business Forms, Major Business Systems, Independent Printing, Hoosier Data Forms, Hayes Graphics, Wright Business Graphics, Wright 360, Integrated Print & Graphics, the Flesh Company, Impressions Direct, and AmeriPrint brands.