FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest in FutureFuel jumped 55.2% in April to 966,496 shares, equal to about 3.8% of the float and a days-to-cover ratio of 1.7.
• Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell” on FF and the consensus rating is Sell, while the company reported a quarterly loss of ($0.27) EPS with negative ROE (-28.62%) and a net margin of -51.59%.
• FutureFuel cut its quarterly dividend to $0.01 (annualized $0.04, ~1.0% yield), even as institutions like Gate City and Marshall Wace increased positions, leaving institutional ownership at 44.56%.

FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 966,496 shares, a growth of 55.2% from the March 31st total of 622,785 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 576,126 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.7 days. Currently, 3.8% of the company's shares are sold short.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of FutureFuel in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Sell".

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Jump Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of FutureFuel by 113.4% in the 4th quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,050 shares of the energy company's stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 12,249 shares in the last quarter. Gate City Capital Management LLC grew its position in FutureFuel by 37.3% during the 4th quarter. Gate City Capital Management LLC now owns 1,104,149 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $3,522,000 after purchasing an additional 299,924 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its position in FutureFuel by 59.4% during the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 25,618 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $82,000 after purchasing an additional 9,545 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its position in FutureFuel by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 39,231 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 3,815 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in FutureFuel by 176.7% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 153,878 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $491,000 after purchasing an additional 98,260 shares during the last quarter. 44.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

FutureFuel Stock Performance

Shares of FutureFuel stock traded up $0.06 during trading on Monday, hitting $4.18. The company's stock had a trading volume of 357,074 shares, compared to its average volume of 496,820. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $4.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3.72. The company has a market capitalization of $183.16 million, a PE ratio of -3.73 and a beta of 0.66. FutureFuel has a 52 week low of $3.09 and a 52 week high of $4.94.

FutureFuel (NYSE:FF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 16th. The energy company reported ($0.27) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $19.84 million during the quarter. FutureFuel had a negative return on equity of 28.62% and a negative net margin of 51.59%.

FutureFuel Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th will be paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 4th. FutureFuel's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -21.43%.

About FutureFuel

FutureFuel Corporation NYSE: FF operates as a specialty chemicals and biofuels producer, combining industrial chemistry with renewable energy solutions. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, FutureFuel Chemical Company, it manufactures a diverse portfolio of chemical products that serve fiber and textile applications, agricultural markets, water treatment processes and industrial coatings. In parallel, the company produces biodiesel using vegetable oils and animal fats as feedstocks, supplying both wholesale fuel distributors and commercial users seeking lower-carbon fuel alternatives.

The company's manufacturing hub is located in Decatur, Arkansas, on a site originally constructed as an ordnance plant during World War II.

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