Value Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:VALU) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Value Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:VALU) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,300 shares, a decline of 38.1% from the December 15th total of 11,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 9,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.8 days. Approximately 0.9% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Institutional Trading of Value Line

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Value Line by 340.6% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,150 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 889 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Value Line by 144.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,563 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 923 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Value Line by 9.7% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 6,145 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $286,000 after acquiring an additional 545 shares during the period. 6.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Value Line Stock Performance

Shares of Value Line stock traded down $0.51 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $47.65. 1,410 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,781. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $52.09 and a 200-day moving average of $47.70. Value Line has a 12 month low of $36.00 and a 12 month high of $57.68. The company has a market cap of $448.77 million, a PE ratio of 20.28 and a beta of 0.80.

Value Line (NASDAQ:VALU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 13th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter. Value Line had a return on equity of 24.00% and a net margin of 62.02%.

Value Line Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 28th were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.52%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 28th. Value Line’s payout ratio is 51.06%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Value Line from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th.

Value Line Company Profile

Value Line, Inc produces and sells investment periodicals and related publications. Its investment periodicals and related publications cover a range of investments, including stocks, mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and options. The company's research services include The Value Line Investment Survey, The Value Line Investment Survey – Small and Mid-Cap, The Value Line 600, and The Value Line Fund Advisor Plus that provide statistical and text coverage of various investment securities, with an emphasis placed on its proprietary research, analysis, and statistical ranks.