StealthGas Inc. (NASDAQ:GASS) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

StealthGas Inc. (NASDAQ:GASS) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 52,000 shares, an increase of 55.2% from the February 13th total of 33,500 shares. Approximately 0.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 140,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised StealthGas from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday.

StealthGas Stock Performance

Shares of GASS traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $5.69. 46,285 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 118,321. The company has a quick ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 2.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $5.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.90. StealthGas has a twelve month low of $4.82 and a twelve month high of $8.84. The company has a market cap of $208.87 million, a P/E ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.75.

StealthGas (NASDAQ:GASS) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 21st. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. StealthGas had a net margin of 40.87% and a return on equity of 11.36%. The firm had revenue of $40.25 million for the quarter.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On StealthGas

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in shares of StealthGas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $333,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its holdings in shares of StealthGas by 32.3% in the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 52,348 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 12,777 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its stake in shares of StealthGas by 22.5% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 335,200 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,894,000 after purchasing an additional 61,500 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of StealthGas during the 4th quarter worth $61,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of StealthGas by 701.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 10,263 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 8,982 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 66.32% of the company’s stock.

About StealthGas

StealthGas Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides seaborne transportation services to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) producers and users worldwide. The company's carriers carry various petroleum gas products in liquefied form, including propane, butane, butadiene, isopropane, propylene, and vinyl chloride monomer, as well as ammonia; refined petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and jet fuel; and edible oils and chemicals.