FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 966,496 shares, a growth of 55.2% from the March 31st total of 622,785 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 576,126 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.7 days. Approximately 3.8% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of FutureFuel in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, FutureFuel currently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On FutureFuel

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of FutureFuel by 226.0% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,038 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 6,266 shares during the last quarter. Centiva Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of FutureFuel in the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its stake in FutureFuel by 4,087.0% during the 3rd quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 12,854 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 12,547 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new stake in FutureFuel during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $51,000. Finally, HRT Financial LP bought a new stake in FutureFuel during the 4th quarter worth approximately $56,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.56% of the company’s stock.

FutureFuel Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE FF traded up $0.06 during trading on Monday, reaching $4.18. 357,074 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 496,820. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $183.16 million, a PE ratio of -3.73 and a beta of 0.66. FutureFuel has a 52-week low of $3.09 and a 52-week high of $4.94.

FutureFuel (NYSE:FF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 16th. The energy company reported ($0.27) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $19.84 million for the quarter. FutureFuel had a negative net margin of 51.59% and a negative return on equity of 28.62%.

FutureFuel Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th will be issued a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. FutureFuel’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -21.43%.

FutureFuel Company Profile

FutureFuel Corporation (NYSE: FF) operates as a specialty chemicals and biofuels producer, combining industrial chemistry with renewable energy solutions. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, FutureFuel Chemical Company, it manufactures a diverse portfolio of chemical products that serve fiber and textile applications, agricultural markets, water treatment processes and industrial coatings. In parallel, the company produces biodiesel using vegetable oils and animal fats as feedstocks, supplying both wholesale fuel distributors and commercial users seeking lower-carbon fuel alternatives.

The company’s manufacturing hub is located in Decatur, Arkansas, on a site originally constructed as an ordnance plant during World War II.