Newpark Resources, Inc. (NYSE:NR) Short Interest Update

Newpark Resources, Inc. (NYSE:NR - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 880,600 shares, a growth of 34.1% from the March 31st total of 656,900 shares. Approximately 1.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 621,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Newpark Resources Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE NR traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $7.27. The stock had a trading volume of 355,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 467,350. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $7.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.85. The firm has a market cap of $619.40 million, a P/E ratio of 45.44 and a beta of 2.75. Newpark Resources has a fifty-two week low of $3.40 and a fifty-two week high of $7.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 2.62 and a quick ratio of 1.59.

Newpark Resources (NYSE:NR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The oil and gas company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.07 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $167.82 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $170.87 million. Newpark Resources had a net margin of 1.94% and a return on equity of 6.53%. Research analysts anticipate that Newpark Resources will post 0.3 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on NR shares. Roth Mkm initiated coverage on Newpark Resources in a research report on Friday, March 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $10.00 target price for the company. Roth Capital reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Newpark Resources in a research report on Friday, March 8th. StockNews.com downgraded Newpark Resources from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. TheStreet downgraded Newpark Resources from a "b-" rating to a "c+" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, B. Riley initiated coverage on Newpark Resources in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $10.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Newpark Resources presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $10.75.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Newpark Resources

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Riverwater Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Newpark Resources by 4.4% during the first quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 75,254 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $543,000 after purchasing an additional 3,140 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Newpark Resources during the first quarter worth $50,000. Simplicity Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Newpark Resources during the first quarter worth $155,000. First Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Newpark Resources during the first quarter worth $113,000. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Newpark Resources by 42.0% during the first quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC now owns 38,690 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $279,000 after purchasing an additional 11,449 shares during the period. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Newpark Resources Company Profile

Newpark Resources, Inc provides products, rentals, and services primarily to the oil and natural gas exploration and production (E&P) industry. It operates through two segments, Fluids Systems and Industrial Solutions. The Fluids Systems segment provides drilling, completion, and stimulation fluids products and related technical services to customers primarily in the North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as other countries in the Asia Pacific and Latin America.