Short Interest in Diana Shipping inc. (NYSE:DSX) Grows By 26.9%

Diana Shipping inc. (NYSE:DSX) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 2,068,251 shares, an increase of 26.9% from the February 26th total of 1,629,734 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,159,541 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.8 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diana Shipping in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Diana Shipping currently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

Diana Shipping Stock Up 5.7%

Shares of NYSE DSX opened at $2.50 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $288.90 million, a P/E ratio of 22.68 and a beta of 0.64. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $2.40 and its 200 day moving average is $2.00. Diana Shipping has a 52 week low of $1.27 and a 52 week high of $2.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 2.69 and a current ratio of 2.73.

Diana Shipping (NYSE:DSX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, February 14th. The shipping company reported $0.02 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $52.05 million during the quarter. Diana Shipping had a net margin of 8.35% and a return on equity of 3.60%.

Diana Shipping Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th were issued a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 11th. Diana Shipping’s dividend payout ratio is 36.36%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Diana Shipping by 11.6% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,361,713 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,920,000 after purchasing an additional 246,300 shares in the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Diana Shipping by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 668,660 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,110,000 after purchasing an additional 20,943 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Diana Shipping in the 4th quarter valued at $775,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Diana Shipping by 46.4% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 190,774 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 60,430 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in shares of Diana Shipping in the 4th quarter valued at $300,000. 48.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Diana Shipping Company Profile

Diana Shipping Inc is a global shipping company incorporated in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and headquartered in Athens, Greece. The company specializes in the ownership and operation of dry bulk vessels that transport a variety of commodities, including coal, iron ore, grains, fertilizers, steel products and other bulk materials. Diana Shipping’s fleet comprises Panamax, Capesize, Newcastlemax and Supramax/Newcastlemax segments, enabling it to address the needs of customers on key global trade routes.

The company conducts its operations by chartering vessels on short‐term voyage charters and longer‐term period charters.