Short Interest in Akzo Nobel NV (OTCMKTS:AKZOY) Increases By 172.8%

Akzo Nobel NV (OTCMKTS:AKZOY) saw a significant increase in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 139,238 shares, an increase of 172.8% from the December 15th total of 51,032 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 142,095 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 142,095 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of Akzo Nobel from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Akzo Nobel from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Akzo Nobel to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Akzo Nobel Price Performance

OTCMKTS:AKZOY opened at $22.95 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $22.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.76. Akzo Nobel has a 52-week low of $18.07 and a 52-week high of $24.52. The firm has a market cap of $11.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 229.50, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.09.

Akzo Nobel (OTCMKTS:AKZOY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The basic materials company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $2.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.57 billion. Akzo Nobel had a net margin of 0.53% and a return on equity of 13.69%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Akzo Nobel will post 1.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Akzo Nobel Company Profile

Akzo Nobel N.V. is a Dutch multinational company specializing in paints, coatings and specialty chemicals. Established through the 1994 merger of Akzo and Nobel Industries, the company traces its roots back to chemical and saltpeter production in the Netherlands. Today, Akzo Nobel is recognized as one of the world’s leading coatings manufacturers, serving both decorative and industrial markets.

The company’s business is organized into three principal segments: Decorative Paints, Performance Coatings and Specialty Chemicals.