NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) saw a large decline in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,440,000 shares, a decline of 24.9% from the March 15th total of 8,570,000 shares. Currently, 2.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,260,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.0 days.

NXP Semiconductors Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ NXPI opened at $170.74 on Monday. NXP Semiconductors has a 12-month low of $148.09 and a 12-month high of $296.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market cap of $43.30 billion, a PE ratio of 17.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.40. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $201.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $214.70.

NXP Semiconductors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 19th were issued a $1.014 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 19th. This represents a $4.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.38%. NXP Semiconductors’s payout ratio is currently 41.62%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NXPI has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of NXP Semiconductors in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Barclays cut their price target on NXP Semiconductors from $280.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley raised NXP Semiconductors from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $231.00 to $257.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com lowered shares of NXP Semiconductors from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of NXP Semiconductors from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $261.50.

Insider Transactions at NXP Semiconductors

In related news, COO Andrew Micallef sold 1,000 shares of NXP Semiconductors stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.86, for a total transaction of $204,860.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 8,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,808,504.08. The trade was a 10.18 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NXP Semiconductors

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in NXP Semiconductors by 915.4% during the fourth quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 132 shares of the semiconductor provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in NXP Semiconductors by 169.2% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 140 shares of the semiconductor provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co bought a new stake in NXP Semiconductors in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of NXP Semiconductors in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group raised its holdings in NXP Semiconductors by 69.5% during the 4th quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 161 shares of the semiconductor provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. 90.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NXP Semiconductors Company Profile

NXP Semiconductors N.V. offers various semiconductor products. The company's product portfolio includes microcontrollers; application processors, including i.MX application processors, and i.MX 8 and 9 family of applications processors; communication processors; wireless connectivity solutions, such as near field communications, ultra-wideband, Bluetooth low-energy, Zigbee, and Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth integrated SoCs; analog and interface devices; radio frequency power amplifiers; and security controllers, as well as semiconductor-based environmental and inertial sensors, including pressure, inertial, magnetic, and gyroscopic sensors.