Standex International Co. (NYSE:SXI) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Standex International Co. (NYSE:SXI - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 283,600 shares, a growth of 21.1% from the April 30th total of 234,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 77,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.7 days. Approximately 2.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Standex International Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE SXI traded up $0.74 on Friday, hitting $153.49. The company's stock had a trading volume of 197,359 shares, compared to its average volume of 58,339. Standex International has a 52-week low of $128.85 and a 52-week high of $212.66. The company has a current ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $146.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.20. The firm has a market cap of $1.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.51, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.08.

Standex International (NYSE:SXI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.03. Standex International had a return on equity of 13.28% and a net margin of 7.59%. The business had revenue of $207.78 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $203.71 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.75 EPS. The business's revenue was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Standex International will post 7.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Standex International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 9th. Standex International's payout ratio is presently 25.30%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SXI has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Standex International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 31st. DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of Standex International from $207.00 to $200.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Roth Capital upgraded Standex International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $220.00 price objective on shares of Standex International in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Standex International in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Standex International presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $223.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Barbara Joanne Edwards sold 355 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.13, for a total transaction of $55,426.15. Following the sale, the director now owns 5,259 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $821,087.67. This represents a 6.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Standex International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Standex International by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,418,703 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $265,283,000 after purchasing an additional 15,518 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Standex International by 1.0% in the first quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 590,551 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $95,309,000 after acquiring an additional 6,121 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Standex International by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 524,446 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $98,066,000 after acquiring an additional 64,373 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Standex International by 15.6% in the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 346,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $64,817,000 after acquiring an additional 46,869 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Standex International by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 317,140 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $59,314,000 after acquiring an additional 8,923 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.35% of the company's stock.

Standex International Company Profile

Standex International Corporation, together with subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of various products and services for commercial and industrial markets in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: Electronics, Engraving, Scientific, Engineering Technologies, and Specialty Solutions.