First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF (NASDAQ:FTXR) Short Interest Update

First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF (NASDAQ:FTXR) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 31,636 shares, a growth of 4,905.7% from the November 30th total of 632 shares. Approximately 3.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 21,155 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Based on an average trading volume of 21,155 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Approximately 3.2% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Susquehanna International Group LLP boosted its position in First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF by 93.3% in the 3rd quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 26,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $936,000 after buying an additional 12,894 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF in the second quarter worth about $527,000. Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its holdings in First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF by 4.0% in the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 15,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $561,000 after purchasing an additional 608 shares during the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $539,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada purchased a new stake in First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF during the 1st quarter worth approximately $290,000.

First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF Trading Up 0.3%

NASDAQ:FTXR traded up $0.14 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $39.68. The stock had a trading volume of 3,409 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,522. The company has a market cap of $39.68 million, a PE ratio of 11.80 and a beta of 1.31. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.60. First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF has a 1-year low of $25.47 and a 1-year high of $39.97.

First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.1692 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. This is a positive change from First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.11.

About First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF

The First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF (FTXR) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Nasdaq US Smart Transportation index. The fund tracks an index composed of 30 US transportation companies. Holdings are selected by liquidity and weighted based on volatility, value and growth factors. FTXR was launched on Sep 20, 2016 and is managed by First Trust.