Diana Shipping inc. (NYSE:DSX) Stock Short Interest Climbs 67.5%

Diana Shipping inc. (NYSE:DSX) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totaling 4,273,804 shares, a growth of 67.5% from the August 31st total of 2,552,051 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,469,407 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.9 days. Approximately 3.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DSX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Diana Shipping in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Diana Shipping from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Diana Shipping Price Performance

DSX stock traded up $0.07 during trading on Thursday, hitting $2.83. 974,090 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 844,265. Diana Shipping has a 52 week low of $1.57 and a 52 week high of $3.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $351.46 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 0.51. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a current ratio of 2.05.

Diana Shipping (NYSE:DSX) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The shipping company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $57.29 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $54.60 million. Diana Shipping had a net margin of 27.88% and a return on equity of 7.55%.

Diana Shipping Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 21st were paid a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 21st. Diana Shipping’s payout ratio is presently 8.33%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diana Shipping

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cetera Investment Advisers bought a new position in shares of Diana Shipping during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Diana Shipping by 71.2% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,942 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 4,550 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Diana Shipping by 159.0% during the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 12,839 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 7,881 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Diana Shipping in the second quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Diana Shipping in the 1st quarter worth about $98,000. 48.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Diana Shipping

Diana Shipping Inc (NYSE: DSX) is a global shipping company that owns and operates dry bulk vessels. Its fleet transports major commodities, including iron ore, grain, and coal, as well as other dry bulk cargoes used in international trade.

The company’s vessels primarily operate under time charter and voyage charter arrangements with customers around the world. Diana Shipping serves a broad range of international trade routes, connecting commodity producers, exporters, and importers across the major shipping regions.

Founded in 1999, Diana Shipping is headquartered in Athens, Greece, and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2005.