Value Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:VALU) Short Interest Update

Value Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:VALU - Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,600 shares, a decrease of 12.7% from the April 30th total of 11,000 shares. Currently, 1.2% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.3 days.

Value Line Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:VALU traded up $0.83 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $38.42. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,263 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,166. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $39.36 and a 200-day moving average of $42.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $361.69 million, a P/E ratio of 16.35 and a beta of 1.07. Value Line has a 12-month low of $32.94 and a 12-month high of $57.68.

Value Line (NASDAQ:VALU - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The financial services provider reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter. Value Line had a net margin of 62.02% and a return on equity of 24.00%. The firm had revenue of $8.97 million for the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.51 earnings per share.

Value Line Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Monday, April 28th were given a dividend of $0.325 per share. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.38%. This is an increase from Value Line's previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, April 28th. Value Line's dividend payout ratio is 57.02%.

Institutional Trading of Value Line

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its position in Value Line by 284.5% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 21,150 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $818,000 after purchasing an additional 15,650 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Value Line by 19.5% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,622 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $561,000 after acquiring an additional 1,733 shares during the period. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Value Line during the 1st quarter valued at about $356,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new position in Value Line during the 4th quarter valued at about $311,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Value Line by 180.4% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,382 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $231,000 after acquiring an additional 2,819 shares during the period. 6.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Value Line from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th.

About Value Line

Value Line, Inc produces and sells investment periodicals and related publications. Its investment periodicals and related publications cover a range of investments, including stocks, mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and options. The company's research services include The Value Line Investment Survey, The Value Line Investment Survey - Small and Mid-Cap, The Value Line 600, and The Value Line Fund Advisor Plus that provide statistical and text coverage of various investment securities, with an emphasis placed on its proprietary research, analysis, and statistical ranks.