Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) Stock Short Interest Report for September

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) was the target of a large growth in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 976,559 shares, a growth of 80.8% from the September 15th total of 540,201 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 289,559 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.4 days. Approximately 6.4% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on RGR. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.00.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. stock traded up $0.43 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $43.37. 1,219,037 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 445,493. The stock has a market capitalization of $692.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.82 and a beta of 0.15. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has a 12-month low of $28.33 and a 12-month high of $47.50. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $40.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $39.72.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $158.06 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $128.54 million. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. had a net margin of 2.11% and a return on equity of 6.58%. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 19.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.41 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. will post 1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This is an increase from Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.11. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 112.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Michael Wilson sold 600 shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.95, for a total value of $25,170.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 628 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,344.60. This trade represents a 48.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Group One Trading LLC bought a new position in shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. during the first quarter valued at $33,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 32.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in the third quarter worth approximately $117,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in the first quarter worth approximately $150,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.00% of the company’s stock.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Company Profile

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc designs, manufactures and sells firearms under the Ruger brand. Its product portfolio includes rifles, pistols, revolvers and shotguns, serving civilian sporting, hunting, personal protection and law enforcement markets.

The company also produces and markets firearms under the Marlin brand. Its offerings include traditional and modern sporting rifles, rimfire and centerfire firearms, and related accessories. Sturm, Ruger primarily serves the United States through a network of independent distributors and retailers, with products also sold in select international markets.

Founded in 1949 by William B.