Short Interest in Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE:PHG) Expands By 59.0%

Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE:PHG) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 2,662,509 shares, a growth of 59.0% from the January 29th total of 1,674,460 shares. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,749,669 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.5 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,749,669 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.5 days. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PHG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Koninklijke Philips from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Koninklijke Philips from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Koninklijke Philips to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Zacks Research raised Koninklijke Philips from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Koninklijke Philips in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. They set a “sector perform” rating for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold”.

Koninklijke Philips Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PHG traded down $0.12 during trading on Friday, hitting $31.96. 464,002 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,261,737. The company has a market capitalization of $30.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.70 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.32. Koninklijke Philips has a 1-year low of $21.48 and a 1-year high of $33.44. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $29.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.35.

Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The technology company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $5.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.03 billion. Koninklijke Philips had a return on equity of 13.68% and a net margin of 5.09%. Sell-side analysts expect that Koninklijke Philips will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Koninklijke Philips Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be given a $1.013 dividend. This represents a yield of 318.0%. This is a boost from Koninklijke Philips’s previous annual dividend of $0.89. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 13th. Koninklijke Philips’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 77.36%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Koninklijke Philips

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PHG. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 269,829 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $6,854,000 after buying an additional 3,540 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Koninklijke Philips by 60.8% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 17,010 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $432,000 after acquiring an additional 6,429 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Koninklijke Philips by 1.5% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 846,253 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $21,495,000 after acquiring an additional 12,908 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in Koninklijke Philips by 125.8% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 104,024 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $2,642,000 after acquiring an additional 57,952 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 2.5% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,351,015 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $32,397,000 after acquiring an additional 32,663 shares during the period. 13.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Koninklijke Philips

Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE: PHG), commonly known as Philips, is a Dutch multinational company focused on health technology. Founded in Eindhoven in 1891, the company evolved from a diversified electronics manufacturer into a specialist in healthcare products, systems and services. Philips is legally registered in the Netherlands and operates globally, supplying equipment and solutions to hospitals, clinics, healthcare providers and consumers across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Philips’ principal activities center on medical technologies and personal health.