Akzo Nobel NV (OTCMKTS:AKZOY) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Akzo Nobel NV (OTCMKTS:AKZOY) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 139,238 shares, an increase of 172.8% from the December 15th total of 51,032 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 142,095 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.0 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 142,095 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.0 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Akzo Nobel Trading Up 0.2%

Akzo Nobel stock opened at $22.99 on Thursday. Akzo Nobel has a 12-month low of $18.07 and a 12-month high of $24.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 229.90, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.09. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $22.17 and a 200 day moving average of $22.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88.

Akzo Nobel (OTCMKTS:AKZOY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The basic materials company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $2.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.57 billion. Akzo Nobel had a return on equity of 13.69% and a net margin of 0.53%. As a group, research analysts predict that Akzo Nobel will post 1.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AKZOY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised Akzo Nobel from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group upgraded Akzo Nobel to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Akzo Nobel to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Akzo Nobel from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Akzo Nobel Company Profile

Akzo Nobel N.V. is a Dutch multinational company specializing in paints, coatings and specialty chemicals. Established through the 1994 merger of Akzo and Nobel Industries, the company traces its roots back to chemical and saltpeter production in the Netherlands. Today, Akzo Nobel is recognized as one of the world’s leading coatings manufacturers, serving both decorative and industrial markets.

The company’s business is organized into three principal segments: Decorative Paints, Performance Coatings and Specialty Chemicals.