Diana Shipping inc. (NYSE:DSX) Short Interest Up 22.4% in February

Diana Shipping inc. (NYSE:DSX) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,629,734 shares, an increase of 22.4% from the February 12th total of 1,331,452 shares. Approximately 1.4% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,026,435 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.6 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,026,435 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.6 days. Approximately 1.4% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Diana Shipping Stock Performance

Shares of DSX stock traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $2.32. 469,320 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,041,667. Diana Shipping has a 12-month low of $1.27 and a 12-month high of $2.71. The company has a market cap of $268.05 million, a P/E ratio of 21.05 and a beta of 0.64. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $2.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 2.29 and a quick ratio of 2.24.

Diana Shipping (NYSE:DSX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The shipping company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $52.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $52.00 million. Diana Shipping had a net margin of 8.35% and a return on equity of 3.60%.

Diana Shipping Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 11th. Diana Shipping’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Diana Shipping from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diana Shipping in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Sell”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diana Shipping

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DSX. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Diana Shipping in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,088,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Diana Shipping during the fourth quarter valued at about $775,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in Diana Shipping by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,361,713 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,920,000 after purchasing an additional 246,300 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new position in Diana Shipping in the fourth quarter valued at about $300,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new position in shares of Diana Shipping during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $278,000. 48.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Diana Shipping Company Profile

Diana Shipping Inc is a global shipping company incorporated in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and headquartered in Athens, Greece. The company specializes in the ownership and operation of dry bulk vessels that transport a variety of commodities, including coal, iron ore, grains, fertilizers, steel products and other bulk materials. Diana Shipping’s fleet comprises Panamax, Capesize, Newcastlemax and Supramax/Newcastlemax segments, enabling it to address the needs of customers on key global trade routes.

The company conducts its operations by chartering vessels on short‐term voyage charters and longer‐term period charters.