Short Interest in StealthGas, Inc. (NASDAQ:GASS) Rises By 36.3%

StealthGas, Inc. (NASDAQ:GASS) saw a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 28,092 shares, a growth of 36.3% from the March 15th total of 20,612 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 150,022 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On StealthGas

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of StealthGas by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,737 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $209,000 after buying an additional 1,340 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd increased its holdings in shares of StealthGas by 19.2% in the 3rd quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 19,648 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $129,000 after buying an additional 3,168 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in shares of StealthGas by 14.8% in the 3rd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 30,311 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $199,000 after buying an additional 3,899 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of StealthGas by 343.3% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,063 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 3,921 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LOM Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of StealthGas in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors own 66.32% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of StealthGas from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, December 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

StealthGas Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:GASS traded down $0.03 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $9.29. The company had a trading volume of 93,011 shares, compared to its average volume of 127,175. The company has a fifty day moving average of $8.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $7.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $345.22 million, a P/E ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 0.20. StealthGas has a 12 month low of $4.94 and a 12 month high of $10.52.

StealthGas (NASDAQ:GASS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 2nd. The shipping company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $39.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.80 million. StealthGas had a net margin of 35.03% and a return on equity of 9.08%.

About StealthGas

StealthGas Inc is an international shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), including propane, butane and ammonia. The company operates a fleet of modern pressurized LPG carriers with capacities ranging from approximately 2,500 to 9,100 cubic meters, providing safe and efficient carriage of petrochemical gases worldwide.

Founded in 2005 and incorporated in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, StealthGas is headquartered in Athens, Greece, with additional commercial and operational offices in major shipping centers across Europe and Asia.