Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE:LXFR) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE:LXFR - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 315,600 shares, a growth of 35.7% from the April 30th total of 232,600 shares. Approximately 1.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 140,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Luxfer from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st.

Luxfer Stock Performance

LXFR traded up $0.35 during trading on Friday, reaching $11.81. 81,950 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 133,117. Luxfer has a fifty-two week low of $9.41 and a fifty-two week high of $15.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $10.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.50. The company has a market capitalization of $321.59 million, a P/E ratio of 35.78, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.09.

Luxfer Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 18th were paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.40%. Luxfer's dividend payout ratio is currently 66.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Graham Wardlow sold 7,962 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.33, for a total transaction of $90,209.46. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 25,847 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $292,846.51. The trade was a 23.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.24% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Luxfer

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. New York State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new stake in Luxfer during the first quarter worth $29,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Luxfer in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Luxfer in the 1st quarter valued at $56,000. Globeflex Capital L P acquired a new stake in shares of Luxfer in the 4th quarter valued at $101,000. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Luxfer in the 1st quarter valued at $124,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.82% of the company's stock.

Luxfer Company Profile

Luxfer Holdings PLC, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and supplies high-performance materials, components, and high-pressure gas containment devices for defense and first response, healthcare, transportation, and general industrial applications. The company operates through three segments: Elektron, Gas Cylinders, and graphic Arts.