The York Water Company (NASDAQ:YORW) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• The York Water Company experienced a significant increase in short interest, rising by 1,913.7% in July, with a total of 294,000 shares shorted as of July 15th.
• Analysts have downgraded York Water from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating, indicating a shift in market sentiment regarding the stock.
• York Water recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2192 per share, representing an annualized dividend yield of 2.8%.

The York Water Company (NASDAQ:YORW - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 294,000 shares, anincreaseof1,913.7% from the June 30th total of 14,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 80,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.7 days. Based on an average daily volume of 80,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.7 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded York Water from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, July 5th.

York Water Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ YORW traded down $0.40 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $30.28. 21,179 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 74,902. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $32.83. York Water has a 1-year low of $29.86 and a 1-year high of $39.79. The firm has a market cap of $436.03 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.10 and a beta of 0.71.

York Water (NASDAQ:YORW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.08). York Water had a return on equity of 8.56% and a net margin of 25.91%. The company had revenue of $18.46 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.00 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that York Water will post 1.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On York Water

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in York Water by 2.4% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 870,459 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $30,188,000 after acquiring an additional 20,385 shares during the period. Zimmer Partners LP lifted its holdings in York Water by 1.4% in the first quarter. Zimmer Partners LP now owns 757,623 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,274,000 after acquiring an additional 10,680 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in York Water by 21.6% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 226,339 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $7,406,000 after acquiring an additional 40,199 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in York Water by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 150,485 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,924,000 after acquiring an additional 5,344 shares during the period. Finally, Penn Capital Management Company LLC lifted its holdings in York Water by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Penn Capital Management Company LLC now owns 145,132 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,749,000 after acquiring an additional 7,333 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.86% of the company's stock.

York Water Company Profile

The York Water Company impounds, purifies, and distributes drinking water. It owns and operates three wastewater collection systems; ten wastewater collection and treatment systems; and two reservoirs, including Lake Williams and Lake Redman, which hold approximately 2.2 billion gallons of water. The company also operates a 15-mile pipeline from the Susquehanna River to Lake Redman; and owns satellite groundwater systems in York, Adams, and Lancaster Counties, as well as two impounding dams on primary system located in York and Springfield Townships.