Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) Short Interest Up 25.6% in January

Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,086,670 shares, a growth of 25.6% from the December 31st total of 865,072 shares. Currently, 8.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 388,752 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 388,752 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days. Currently, 8.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Willdan Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wedbush lifted their price objective on Willdan Group from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Willdan Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Willdan Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Compass Point set a $125.00 price target on shares of Willdan Group in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Willdan Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.33.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willdan Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Willdan Group by 1,915.4% in the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 262 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Willdan Group during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of Willdan Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Willdan Group in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in Willdan Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Willdan Group Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of Willdan Group stock opened at $128.16 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $114.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.28. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Willdan Group has a 12-month low of $30.43 and a 12-month high of $137.00. The company has a market cap of $1.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.10 and a beta of 0.97.

Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The construction company reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.40. Willdan Group had a net margin of 6.37% and a return on equity of 20.23%. The business had revenue of $94.97 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.00 million. On average, equities analysts expect that Willdan Group will post 1.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Willdan Group Company Profile

Willdan Group, Inc provides energy efficiency, infrastructure engineering, and technical consulting services to a diverse range of public and private sector clients. The company works with utilities, municipalities, state and federal agencies, and commercial enterprises to design, implement, and manage programs that promote sustainable energy use, grid modernization, and resilient infrastructure. Willdan’s offerings span program design and implementation, energy audits, measurement and verification, and project management for both new construction and retrofit initiatives.

Core services include energy advisory and engineering solutions, including feasibility studies, facility commissioning and retro-commissioning, $0 down financing for energy projects, and demand response program development.