Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (NYSE:BLX) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (NYSE:BLX) saw a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 412,436 shares, a growth of 76.9% from the January 29th total of 233,212 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 159,207 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 159,207 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. Weiss Ratings raised Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior presently has an average rating of “Strong Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior by 21.9% in the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 3,485 shares of the bank’s stock worth $140,000 after buying an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co. purchased a new stake in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior in the 4th quarter worth $200,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new stake in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior during the second quarter valued at about $273,000. Finally, Ramirez Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior by 12.0% in the third quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. now owns 39,988 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,838,000 after acquiring an additional 4,270 shares in the last quarter. 19.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior Stock Performance

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior stock traded down $1.14 during trading on Friday, reaching $50.03. The company had a trading volume of 160,615 shares, compared to its average volume of 153,467. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior has a 52 week low of $31.14 and a 52 week high of $51.99. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $46.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.19 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior (NYSE:BLX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The bank reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior had a return on equity of 14.85% and a net margin of 27.11%.The business had revenue of $88.80 million during the quarter. Sell-side analysts forecast that Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior will post 4.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.6875 per share. This represents a $2.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 25th. This is a positive change from Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.01%.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior Company Profile

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior SA, commonly known as BLADEx and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BLX, is a multilateral financial institution dedicated to promoting foreign trade and regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean. Headquartered in Panama City, the bank provides specialized trade finance solutions to corporate clients and financial institutions, helping to facilitate cross-border transactions across key markets in the region. Its services encompass import and export financing, supply chain solutions, project and structured finance, as well as treasury and risk management products.

Established in 1977 by a consortium of 20 Latin American and Caribbean governments in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), BLADEx has a mandate to support economic development through trade facilitation.