HCI Group, Inc. (NYSE:HCI) Short Interest Up 11.2% in July

HCI Group, Inc. (NYSE:HCI) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,190,000 shares, an increase of 11.2% from the June 30th total of 1,070,000 shares. Currently, 14.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 151,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 7.9 days.

HCI Group Trading Up 1.4 %

NYSE HCI traded up $1.32 during trading on Monday, reaching $92.68. 77,030 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 140,383. The firm has a market cap of $971.29 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.43 and a beta of 1.13. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $92.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $100.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. HCI Group has a fifty-two week low of $48.84 and a fifty-two week high of $121.57.

HCI Group (NYSE:HCI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.91. The firm had revenue of $206.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $189.17 million. HCI Group had a net margin of 17.72% and a return on equity of 40.30%. Analysts predict that HCI Group will post 11.63 EPS for the current year.

HCI Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. HCI Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.28%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in HCI Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $155,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in HCI Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $262,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in HCI Group by 399.4% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 1,773 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $155,000 after buying an additional 1,418 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. bought a new position in HCI Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $642,000. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC bought a new position in HCI Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $335,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on HCI shares. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of HCI Group in a research note on Friday, April 5th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of HCI Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, JMP Securities lifted their price target on shares of HCI Group from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, HCI Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.75.

About HCI Group

HCI Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the property and casualty insurance, insurance management, reinsurance, real estate, and information technology businesses in Florida. It provides residential insurance products, such as homeowners, fire, flood, and wind-only insurance to homeowners, condominium owners, and tenants for properties, as well as offers reinsurance programs.