Safe Bulkers, Inc (NYSE:SB) Short Interest Update

Safe Bulkers, Inc (NYSE:SB) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 1,246,555 shares, a decline of 21.9% from the December 15th total of 1,595,978 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 379,466 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days. Currently, 2.0% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 2.0% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 379,466 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SB has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Safe Bulkers from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Zacks Research raised shares of Safe Bulkers from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Safe Bulkers in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Safe Bulkers presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4.80.

Safe Bulkers Stock Performance

Shares of Safe Bulkers stock traded down $0.07 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $5.14. The company had a trading volume of 543,568 shares, compared to its average volume of 425,479. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $4.57. The stock has a market cap of $525.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.28 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 2.72, a current ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Safe Bulkers has a 12-month low of $3.02 and a 12-month high of $5.54.

Safe Bulkers Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. Safe Bulkers’s payout ratio is presently 55.56%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Safe Bulkers

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its position in Safe Bulkers by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 43,299 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $156,000 after acquiring an additional 2,423 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Safe Bulkers by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 116,912 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $588,000 after purchasing an additional 3,148 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Safe Bulkers by 0.9% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 459,138 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,657,000 after purchasing an additional 3,983 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Safe Bulkers by 0.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 765,593 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,399,000 after purchasing an additional 4,300 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in Safe Bulkers by 73.4% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 11,088 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 4,692 shares during the last quarter. 21.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Safe Bulkers Company Profile

Safe Bulkers Inc (NYSE: SB) is a dry bulk shipping company engaged in the ocean transport of commodities such as iron ore, coal, grain, and fertilizers. The company operates a modern fleet of vessels, including Panamax, Supramax and Kamsarmax bulk carriers, designed to serve a variety of trade routes and cargo types. Safe Bulkers’ fleet is employed under both time charter and voyage charter arrangements, offering flexibility to respond to market demand and optimize vessel utilization.

Founded in 2008, Safe Bulkers began trading its shares on the New York Stock Exchange in the same year, establishing itself as a publicly listed provider of dry bulk transportation services.