Short Interest in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) Rises By 47.9%

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 37,788,934 shares, a growth of 47.9% from the January 15th total of 25,557,177 shares. Currently, 0.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 33,057,072 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 33,057,072 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.1 days. Currently, 0.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PBR traded down $0.07 during trading on Monday, hitting $15.19. The company had a trading volume of 17,427,811 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,315,988. The firm has a market capitalization of $97.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 0.49. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $13.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $12.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras has a fifty-two week low of $11.03 and a fifty-two week high of $16.02.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.0658 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 26th. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras’s payout ratio is 21.76%.

Institutional Trading of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PBR. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras by 273.4% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 2,330 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 1,706 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras by 74.9% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,438 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,044 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras by 45.7% during the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 902 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on PBR shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras from $13.10 to $15.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras from $14.40 to $14.60 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.98.

About Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras

Petróleo Brasileiro SA – Petrobras is a Brazilian, state-controlled integrated oil and gas company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. Founded in 1953, Petrobras is principally engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, and operates across the full value chain from upstream activities through refining, transportation and downstream marketing of petroleum products. The company is a major player in Brazil’s energy sector and is a listed public company with global capital market presence.

Petrobras’s core activities include deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploration and production, where it has been a pioneer in developing pre-salt reserves off Brazil’s coast.