RPM International Inc. (NYSE:RPM) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

RPM International Inc. (NYSE:RPM) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 2,265,281 shares, an increase of 29.5% from the December 31st total of 1,749,907 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,626,855 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,626,855 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other RPM International news, VP Timothy R. Kinser sold 3,441 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.31, for a total value of $379,576.71. Following the sale, the vice president owned 21,248 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,343,866.88. This trade represents a 13.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RPM International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS increased its position in RPM International by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 46,400 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $5,097,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. Boston Trust Walden Corp grew its stake in shares of RPM International by 18.1% in the 2nd quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 601,564 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $66,076,000 after buying an additional 92,358 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. increased its holdings in shares of RPM International by 2.8% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 47,266 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $5,191,000 after acquiring an additional 1,307 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its holdings in RPM International by 3.6% in the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 24,371 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,677,000 after buying an additional 847 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in RPM International by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 10,106 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $1,110,000 after acquiring an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.95% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RPM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of RPM International from $136.00 to $127.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of RPM International from $127.00 to $119.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of RPM International from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $121.00 to $132.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Zacks Research lowered shares of RPM International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated a “buy” rating on shares of RPM International in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $126.75.

RPM International Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:RPM traded up $0.47 on Monday, reaching $107.43. 731,542 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,227,689. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $107.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.33. The company has a current ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. RPM International has a 52 week low of $95.28 and a 52 week high of $129.12.

RPM International (NYSE:RPM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.20 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by ($0.21). RPM International had a net margin of 8.79% and a return on equity of 22.49%. The company had revenue of $1.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.94 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.39 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that RPM International will post 5.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

RPM International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. RPM International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.62%.

RPM International Company Profile

RPM International Inc is a global holding company whose subsidiaries specialize in the manufacture and marketing of high-performance coatings, sealants, building materials, and specialty chemicals. Through its two principal operating segments—Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings—RPM serves a diverse range of end markets, including construction, consumer products, industrial maintenance, and specialty applications.

The company’s Performance Coatings segment offers a broad portfolio of architectural coatings, waterproofing systems, and specialty building products used by contractors, builders, and homeowners.