Short Interest in Atrion Co. (NASDAQ:ATRI) Grows By 22.3%

Atrion Co. (NASDAQ:ATRI - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 119,500 shares, an increase of 22.3% from the March 31st total of 97,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 18,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.4 days. Approximately 8.7% of the company's shares are short sold.

Atrion Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of Atrion stock traded down $3.96 during trading on Friday, hitting $395.01. 26,395 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 29,758. The firm has a market cap of $695.22 million, a P/E ratio of 35.81 and a beta of 0.60. Atrion has a 52-week low of $274.98 and a 52-week high of $625.00. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $406.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $364.66.

Atrion (NASDAQ:ATRI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 29th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $43.58 million for the quarter. Atrion had a return on equity of 8.07% and a net margin of 11.46%.

Atrion Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were paid a $2.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $8.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.23%. Atrion's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.78%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Atrion

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Atrion by 56.4% in the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 86 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in Atrion in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Atrion by 33.1% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 189 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in Atrion by 592.3% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 270 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $102,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Atrion in the fourth quarter worth about $108,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.19% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Atrion from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday, April 22nd.

Atrion Company Profile

Atrion Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells products for fluid delivery, cardiovascular, and ophthalmic applications in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company's fluid delivery products include valves that fill, hold, and release controlled amounts of fluids or gasses for use in various intubation, intravenous, catheter, and other applications in the anesthesia and oncology fields, as well as promote infection control in hospital and home healthcare environments.