Short Interest in American Vanguard Co. (NYSE:AVD) Drops By 8.3%

American Vanguard Co. (NYSE:AVD) saw a large decline in short interest in October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 764,600 shares, a decline of 8.3% from the September 30th total of 833,600 shares. Approximately 2.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 300,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days.

American Vanguard Trading Down 2.4 %

Shares of AVD stock opened at $5.23 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $150.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.58 and a beta of 0.87. American Vanguard has a twelve month low of $4.95 and a twelve month high of $14.28. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $5.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $7.84. The company has a current ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $128.21 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $134.20 million. American Vanguard had a negative net margin of 0.60% and a positive return on equity of 1.85%. As a group, equities analysts predict that American Vanguard will post 0.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of American Vanguard from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Lake Street Capital initiated coverage on shares of American Vanguard in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $14.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $16.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Keith M. Rosenbloom purchased 33,555 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was bought at an average price of $5.66 per share, with a total value of $189,921.30. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,047,410 shares in the company, valued at $5,928,340.60. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other American Vanguard news, Director Keith M. Rosenbloom bought 104,492 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $5.74 per share, with a total value of $599,784.08. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,168,682 shares in the company, valued at $6,708,234.68. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Keith M. Rosenbloom bought 33,555 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $5.66 per share, for a total transaction of $189,921.30. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,047,410 shares in the company, valued at $5,928,340.60. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders purchased 163,047 shares of company stock valued at $938,205. 10.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Vanguard

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in American Vanguard in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in American Vanguard by 7,554.5% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,210 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 4,155 shares during the period. Point72 DIFC Ltd increased its stake in American Vanguard by 195.7% during the second quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 5,080 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 3,362 shares during the period. EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its stake in American Vanguard by 363.9% during the first quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 10,118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $131,000 after purchasing an additional 7,937 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in American Vanguard during the third quarter worth about $56,000. 79.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Vanguard Company Profile

American Vanguard Corporation, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets specialty chemicals for agricultural, commercial, and consumer uses in the United States and internationally. It manufactures and formulates chemicals, including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, soil health, plant nutrition, molluscicides, growth regulators, soil fumigants, and biorationals in liquid, powder, and granular forms for crops, turf and ornamental plants, and human and animal health protection.