Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 568,100 shares, an increase of 22.8% from the March 15th total of 462,500 shares. Currently, 2.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 180,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.1 days.

Douglas Dynamics Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of Douglas Dynamics stock traded up $0.12 during trading on Friday, hitting $23.67. 292,723 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 189,258. The firm has a market capitalization of $546.68 million, a P/E ratio of 10.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $24.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.13. Douglas Dynamics has a 1-year low of $21.30 and a 1-year high of $30.98.

Douglas Dynamics Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th were paid a $0.295 dividend. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 18th. Douglas Dynamics’s payout ratio is presently 50.43%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Douglas Dynamics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Douglas Dynamics during the 4th quarter worth $49,000. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Douglas Dynamics by 88.6% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,616 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 1,229 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Douglas Dynamics by 15.6% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,052 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in shares of Douglas Dynamics in the fourth quarter valued at about $111,000. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Douglas Dynamics during the fourth quarter worth about $153,000. 91.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $32.00 price objective on shares of Douglas Dynamics in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. StockNews.com raised shares of Douglas Dynamics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th.

About Douglas Dynamics

Douglas Dynamics, Inc operates as a manufacturer and upfitter of commercial work truck attachments and equipment in North America. It operates through two segments, Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions. The Work Truck Attachments segment manufactures and sells snow and ice control attachments, including snowplows, and sand and salt spreaders for light trucks and heavy duty trucks, as well as various related parts and accessories.