Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI) Short Interest Update

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,340,000 shares, a growth of 21.9% from the March 15th total of 1,920,000 shares. Approximately 5.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 487,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.8 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Lake Street Capital dropped their price target on shares of Smith & Wesson Brands from $13.00 to $12.50 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Smith & Wesson Brands

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands in the fourth quarter worth $44,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Smith & Wesson Brands in the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 238.6% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 4,933 shares of the company's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 3,476 shares in the last quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 145.0% during the 1st quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 5,391 shares of the company's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 3,191 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caption Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 59.33% of the company's stock.

Smith & Wesson Brands Trading Down 1.5 %

NASDAQ SWBI traded down $0.15 on Friday, hitting $9.46. 132,329 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 480,902. The company's 50-day moving average price is $9.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 3.97 and a quick ratio of 1.43. Smith & Wesson Brands has a 52-week low of $8.38 and a 52-week high of $17.33. The company has a market capitalization of $416.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.12 and a beta of 1.09.

Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.02. The business had revenue of $115.89 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $119.46 million. Smith & Wesson Brands had a return on equity of 8.78% and a net margin of 7.00%. Research analysts predict that Smith & Wesson Brands will post 0.47 EPS for the current year.

Smith & Wesson Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.50%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. Smith & Wesson Brands's payout ratio is presently 80.00%.

About Smith & Wesson Brands

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture, design, and provision of firearms. Its portfolio includes handguns, long guns, handcuffs, suppressor, and other firearm-related products. The firm's brands are Smith & Wesson, M&P, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech.