Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY) Short Interest Up 255.3% in April

Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 66,800 shares, a growth of 255.3% from the March 31st total of 18,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 107,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days. Approximately 0.0% of the company's shares are short sold.

Orkla ASA Trading Up 1.0 %

Orkla ASA stock traded up $0.11 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $10.90. 347,435 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 39,092. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.87 billion, a PE ratio of 19.46 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $10.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $9.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Orkla ASA has a 52 week low of $6.73 and a 52 week high of $12.10.

Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter. 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 will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 29th will be given a $0.6871 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 28th. This is a positive change from Orkla ASA's previous dividend of $0.40. This represents a dividend yield of 5.82%. Orkla ASA's payout ratio is currently 121.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Orkla ASA from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th.

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.