Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 17,900 shares, an increase of 145.2% from the April 30th total of 7,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 115,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Orkla ASA Price Performance

OTCMKTS:ORKLY traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $11.38. 45,771 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 40,893. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $11.35 billion, a PE ratio of 20.32 and a beta of 0.50. Orkla ASA has a twelve month low of $7.90 and a twelve month high of $12.10. The stock's 50-day moving average is $11.18 and its 200-day moving average is $9.97.

Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.53 billion. Orkla ASA had a net margin of 8.58% and a return on equity of 13.13%.

Orkla ASA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 29th were issued a $0.6871 dividend. This is an increase from Orkla ASA's previous dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, April 28th. This represents a yield of 5.82%. Orkla ASA's dividend payout ratio is presently 46.55%.

About Orkla ASA

Orkla ASA engages in branded consumer goods, and industrial and financial investment businesses. The company offers branded products, including frozen pizza, ketchup, soups, sauces, bread toppings, and ready-to-eat meals through grocery channels, as well as food service, convenience stores, and petrol stations.