KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR) Short Interest Update

KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,770,000 shares, a decline of 9.7% from the March 15th total of 1,960,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,340,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.3 days. Currently, 1.3% of the company’s stock are sold short.

KBR Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of KBR traded up $0.30 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $61.98. 1,255,916 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,047,289. KBR has a one year low of $49.37 and a one year high of $65.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $60.26 and a 200-day moving average of $56.65.

KBR (NYSE:KBR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 20th. The construction company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.78 billion. KBR had a positive return on equity of 25.08% and a negative net margin of 3.81%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.69 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that KBR will post 3.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KBR Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.97%. This is a boost from KBR’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. KBR’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -29.27%.

Insider Activity at KBR

In other news, EVP Jennifer Myles sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.95, for a total value of $471,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 38,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,270,989.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KBR. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of KBR by 14.6% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 427,656 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,206,000 after purchasing an additional 54,623 shares during the period. Custom Index Systems LLC purchased a new stake in KBR during the 4th quarter valued at $275,000. Strs Ohio grew its holdings in KBR by 212.1% in the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 89,524 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,276,000 after acquiring an additional 60,840 shares during the last quarter. AXQ Capital LP increased its position in shares of KBR by 687.1% in the third quarter. AXQ Capital LP now owns 24,400 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,438,000 after acquiring an additional 21,300 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of KBR by 169.8% during the third quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 196,991 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $11,634,000 after acquiring an additional 123,966 shares during the last quarter. 97.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KBR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group dropped their price objective on KBR from $65.00 to $63.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on KBR from $63.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. StockNews.com raised shares of KBR from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 20th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of KBR from $72.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of KBR from $62.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.29.

About KBR

KBR, Inc provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. It operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.