StealthGas, Inc. (NASDAQ:GASS) Short Interest Down 60.2% in January

StealthGas, Inc. (NASDAQ:GASS) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 23,229 shares, a drop of 60.2% from the December 31st total of 58,326 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 143,925 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 143,925 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Currently, 0.1% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on GASS shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of StealthGas in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of StealthGas from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, StealthGas currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

StealthGas Stock Down 0.7%

GASS traded down $0.06 on Thursday, reaching $7.85. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 58,819 shares, compared to its average volume of 113,276. The company has a market capitalization of $291.52 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.67 and a beta of 0.22. StealthGas has a fifty-two week low of $4.90 and a fifty-two week high of $8.18. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $7.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.96.

StealthGas (NASDAQ:GASS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 25th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.05. StealthGas had a net margin of 35.02% and a return on equity of 9.62%. The business had revenue of $44.53 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.20 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On StealthGas

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in StealthGas by 701.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 10,263 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 8,982 shares during the last quarter. Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in shares of StealthGas by 49.7% during the second quarter. Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. now owns 26,500 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $170,000 after buying an additional 8,800 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in StealthGas in the 2nd quarter valued at about $106,000. Towerview LLC increased its position in StealthGas by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. Towerview LLC now owns 2,849,929 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $18,268,000 after acquiring an additional 79,929 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in StealthGas by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,091,498 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $6,975,000 after acquiring an additional 17,750 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.32% of the company’s stock.

About StealthGas

StealthGas Inc is an international shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), including propane, butane and ammonia. The company operates a fleet of modern pressurized LPG carriers with capacities ranging from approximately 2,500 to 9,100 cubic meters, providing safe and efficient carriage of petrochemical gases worldwide.

Founded in 2005 and incorporated in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, StealthGas is headquartered in Athens, Greece, with additional commercial and operational offices in major shipping centers across Europe and Asia.