Short Interest in Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) Decreases By 16.9%

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,240,000 shares, a decrease of 16.9% from the March 31st total of 3,900,000 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,970,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.6 days.

Sanofi Stock Performance

SNY traded up $0.27 on Monday, reaching $49.40. The company had a trading volume of 1,676,194 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,991,082. Sanofi has a fifty-two week low of $42.63 and a fifty-two week high of $55.93. The stock has a market cap of $124.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.61. The company’s fifty day moving average is $47.71 and its 200 day moving average is $48.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.27.

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.94 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $11.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.02 billion. Sanofi had a return on equity of 19.69% and a net margin of 10.52%. As a group, analysts predict that Sanofi will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sanofi Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.478 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.98%. This is an increase from Sanofi’s previous annual dividend of $1.38. Sanofi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on SNY. StockNews.com cut shares of Sanofi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. TheStreet cut shares of Sanofi from a “b” rating to a “c” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Sanofi in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $55.00 target price for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sanofi presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $55.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sanofi

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sanofi by 8.4% during the third quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 184,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,904,000 after buying an additional 14,362 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Sanofi in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,104,000. Soros Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in Sanofi in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $11,533,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sanofi in the 4th quarter valued at $4,704,000. Finally, Clear Street Markets LLC raised its holdings in Sanofi by 352.8% during the 3rd quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 130,183 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,983,000 after buying an additional 101,430 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 10.04% of the company’s stock.

Sanofi Company Profile

Sanofi, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare segments. The company provides specialty care, such as DUPIXENT, neurology and immunology, rare diseases, oncology, and rare blood disorders; medicines for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; and established prescription products.