Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE:LXFR) Short Interest Up 35.7% in May

Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE:LXFR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during 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. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 140,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days. Currently, 1.2% of the company's stock are short sold.

Insider Activity at Luxfer

In other news, insider Graham Wardlow sold 4,874 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.95, for a total transaction of $58,244.30. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 33,809 shares in the company, valued at $404,017.55. This represents a 12.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Luxfer

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LXFR. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Luxfer by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 12,692 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $166,000 after buying an additional 2,690 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Luxfer during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in shares of Luxfer by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 44,790 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $586,000 after buying an additional 2,382 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Luxfer by 20.1% during the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 60,530 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $792,000 after purchasing an additional 10,140 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Luxfer during the 4th quarter valued at $173,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.82% of the company's stock.

Luxfer Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of Luxfer stock traded down $0.09 on Wednesday, hitting $11.46. 94,024 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 133,104. The stock has a market cap of $312.14 million, a P/E ratio of 34.73, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.09. The firm's 50-day moving average is $10.93 and its 200 day moving average is $12.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Luxfer has a 52-week low of $9.41 and a 52-week high of $15.64.

Luxfer Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 18th were paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.54%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 17th. Luxfer's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

About Luxfer

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.