BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP) Shares Shorted: Short Interest Up 143.1% in September

Key Points

• Short interest surged 143.1% in September to 1.60 million shares, representing about 1.1% of BW LPG’s outstanding shares and 2.7 days of average trading volume.
• Institutional ownership increased, with several firms—including Arrowstreet Capital, Bank of America, and the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company—initiating or expanding positions. Analysts broadly favor the stock, with four Buy ratings and one Hold rating.
• BW LPG shares recently traded at $24.19, while the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.79, below the $1.17 consensus estimate. Its quarterly dividend rose to NOK 8.89 from NOK 6.20.

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,595,030 shares, an increase of 143.1% from the August 31st total of 656,191 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 582,113 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.7 days. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BW LPG

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new position in BW LPG during the 1st quarter valued at about $9,646,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in BW LPG by 54.2% in the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 387,070 shares of the company's stock worth $6,799,000 after purchasing an additional 136,000 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of BW LPG during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,218,000. Fearnley Asset Management AS purchased a new position in shares of BW LPG during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,388,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of BW LPG during the second quarter valued at approximately $3,626,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Pareto Securities raised BW LPG from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded BW LPG from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of BW LPG from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of BW LPG from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, BW LPG currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

BW LPG Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE BWLP traded up $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $24.19. 246,226 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 470,607. BW LPG has a 52 week low of $11.72 and a 52 week high of $26.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $23.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.44. The stock has a market cap of $3.66 billion, a PE ratio of 8.23 and a beta of 0.99.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Saturday, August 29th. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by ($0.38). BW LPG had a return on equity of 22.48% and a net margin of 12.64%.The company had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $318.01 million.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th were paid a NOK 8.89 dividend. This is an increase from BW LPG's previous quarterly dividend of NOK 6.20. This represents a $35.57 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 147.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 8th. BW LPG's payout ratio is currently 129.25%.

About BW LPG

BW LPG Limited NYSE: BWLP is a Singapore-based maritime company that owns and operates very large gas carriers (VLGCs) used to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), primarily propane and butane. The company provides seaborne transportation services to energy producers, commodity traders, and other customers involved in the global LPG supply chain.

BW LPG's activities include vessel ownership, ship management, commercial operation, and fleet optimization. Its ships transport LPG on international trade routes connecting major exporting regions, including the Middle East and the United States, with import markets in Asia, Europe, and other parts of the world.

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