KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR) Short Interest Up 8.4% in October

KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,900,000 shares, an increase of 8.4% from the October 15th total of 4,520,000 shares. Approximately 3.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,470,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days.

KBR Price Performance

Shares of KBR traded down $0.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $51.86. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,020,768 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,289,436. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. KBR has a 1-year low of $47.70 and a 1-year high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.00 billion, a P/E ratio of -32.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $57.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.38.

KBR Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.135 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 14th. This represents a $0.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.04%. KBR’s payout ratio is currently -34.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling at KBR

In other news, CFO Mark W. Sopp bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $51.53 per share, for a total transaction of $257,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 147,178 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,584,082.34. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KBR

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KBR. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in KBR by 5.3% during the third quarter. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,254 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $251,000 after buying an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in shares of KBR by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,906 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares during the period. Belpointe Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of KBR by 35.5% in the 1st quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 871 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares during the period. State of Wyoming increased its stake in KBR by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 6,886 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $448,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in KBR by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 69,856 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,688,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the last quarter.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on KBR shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of KBR from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. DA Davidson raised their price target on KBR from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on KBR from $75.00 to $66.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. TheStreet downgraded KBR from a “b+” rating to a “c” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on KBR from $75.00 to $74.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, KBR has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $69.71.

About KBR

KBR, Inc provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. The company operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.