Short Interest in The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCKT) Drops By 20.7%

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCKT) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,021,011 shares, a drop of 20.7% from the November 30th total of 1,287,246 shares. Currently, 4.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 462,220 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 462,220 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Currently, 4.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hackett Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Acuitas Investments LLC increased its position in shares of The Hackett Group by 10.3% during the third quarter. Acuitas Investments LLC now owns 122,500 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,329,000 after acquiring an additional 11,400 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in The Hackett Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $670,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its position in shares of The Hackett Group by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 178,542 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,394,000 after purchasing an additional 28,984 shares during the last quarter. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Hackett Group by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. now owns 428,654 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $8,149,000 after purchasing an additional 1,253 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hackett Group by 122.9% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 807,457 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $15,350,000 after purchasing an additional 445,267 shares in the last quarter. 78.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hackett Group Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of HCKT opened at $19.95 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The firm has a market cap of $541.24 million, a P/E ratio of 52.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.04. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $18.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $20.78. The Hackett Group has a 12-month low of $17.52 and a 12-month high of $34.02.

The Hackett Group (NASDAQ:HCKT) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The business services provider reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.37. The Hackett Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 23.20%. The firm had revenue of $73.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $74.82 million. The Hackett Group has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.380-0.400 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Hackett Group will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hackett Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 23rd will be paid a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 23rd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The Hackett Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 126.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HCKT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of The Hackett Group in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of The Hackett Group in a research report on Monday, October 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.00.

About The Hackett Group

The Hackett Group is a global strategic advisory firm specializing in business transformation, benchmarking and research. Leveraging a proprietary data repository and the Hackett Methodology®, the company helps organizations optimize performance across enterprise functions. Its advisory services span digital transformation, process optimization and operational excellence, enabling clients to identify best practices, streamline workflows and achieve sustainable cost savings.

Through detailed benchmarking studies and industry research, The Hackett Group delivers actionable insights into finance, procurement, human resources, information technology and supply chain management.