Avient Corporation (NYSE:AVNT) Short Interest Down 18.7% in February

Avient Corporation (NYSE:AVNT) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 2,439,569 shares, a decline of 18.7% from the February 12th total of 2,999,171 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 771,421 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.2 days. Currently, 2.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 2.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 771,421 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.2 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Avient

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AVNT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Avient during the third quarter worth about $29,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Avient by 342.3% in the 4th quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 942 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 729 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of Avient by 54.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 967 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 340 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Avient during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Avient during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 95.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Avient Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AVNT traded down $0.28 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $34.07. The stock had a trading volume of 748,162 shares, compared to its average volume of 726,263. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $38.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. Avient has a 52 week low of $27.48 and a 52 week high of $44.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.40.

Avient (NYSE:AVNT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $760.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $750.19 million. Avient had a net margin of 2.51% and a return on equity of 10.95%. Avient’s revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.49 EPS. Avient has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.810-0.810 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.930-3.170 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Avient will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Avient Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.275 per share. This represents a $1.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. Avient’s payout ratio is currently 123.60%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVNT has been the topic of several research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $46.00 price objective on shares of Avient in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Avient from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Avient from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Avient in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Avient from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $47.00.

About Avient

Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) is a global provider of specialized and sustainable polymer materials, delivering color, additive and engineered solutions to a wide range of industries. The company’s core offerings include masterbatches, colorant systems, compounds and resins designed to enhance performance, aesthetics and environmental sustainability. Avient serves markets such as packaging, automotive, consumer goods, healthcare, electronics, and agriculture, tailoring products to meet stringent regulatory and end-use requirements.

Formed through a corporate rebranding in 2020 following the divestiture of PolyOne’s specialty businesses, Avient traces its heritage to a legacy of polymer innovation spanning decades.