Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR) Short Interest Up 16.5% in February

Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 2,655,083 shares, an increase of 16.5% from the February 12th total of 2,278,574 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 629,749 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.2 days. Approximately 4.3% of the company’s shares are sold short. Approximately 4.3% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 629,749 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.2 days.

Ingredion Price Performance

NYSE INGR opened at $112.97 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $7.11 billion, a PE ratio of 10.12, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.69. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $115.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $115.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.73 and a current ratio of 2.66. Ingredion has a 52-week low of $102.31 and a 52-week high of $141.78.

Ingredion (NYSE:INGR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.59 by ($0.06). Ingredion had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 10.10%.The company had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.63 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Ingredion has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.000-11.8 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Ingredion will post 11.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on INGR. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ingredion in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Ingredion in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ingredion from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Ingredion from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Ingredion from $124.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $126.43.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ingredion news, SVP Larry Fernandes sold 3,630 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.40, for a total transaction of $429,792.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 32,055 shares in the company, valued at $3,795,312. The trade was a 10.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO James P. Zallie sold 33,597 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.66, for a total value of $4,020,217.02. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 50,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,002,983.22. This represents a 40.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 48,310 shares of company stock valued at $5,741,733. 1.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ingredion

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. WPG Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of Ingredion by 100.8% in the third quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 245 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Ingredion in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Ingredion in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ingredion during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its stake in Ingredion by 40.5% during the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. 85.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ingredion Company Profile

Ingredion Incorporated is a global ingredient solutions company specializing in the production and sale of starches, sweeteners, nutrition ingredients and biomaterials derived primarily from corn and other plant-based raw materials. The company serves a diverse set of industries, including food and beverage, brewing, pharmaceuticals and personal care, providing functional ingredients that enhance texture, stability, flavor and nutritional value in a wide array of end products.

The company’s product portfolio comprises native and modified starches, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrins, specialty sweeteners and various texturizers.