Short Interest in LSI Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:LYTS) Increases By 24.2%

LSI Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:LYTS) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 601,500 shares, a growth of 24.2% from the August 15th total of 484,300 shares. Approximately 2.4% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 122,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.9 days.

Insider Activity

In other LSI Industries news, VP Thomas A. Caneris sold 9,748 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.57, for a total value of $142,028.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 98,656 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,437,417.92. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other LSI Industries news, VP Thomas A. Caneris sold 9,748 shares of LSI Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.57, for a total transaction of $142,028.36. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 98,656 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,437,417.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO James Anthony Clark sold 33,331 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.57, for a total value of $485,632.67. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 361,099 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,261,212.43. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 51,903 shares of company stock valued at $756,227. Company insiders own 7.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LSI Industries

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LYTS. Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in LSI Industries in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its holdings in shares of LSI Industries by 87.0% during the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 8,740 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 4,065 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in LSI Industries during the first quarter valued at approximately $167,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new stake in LSI Industries in the second quarter worth approximately $191,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in LSI Industries in the 1st quarter worth approximately $203,000. 73.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

LSI Industries Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of LSI Industries stock traded up $0.15 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $15.52. The company had a trading volume of 116,090 shares, compared to its average volume of 111,426. LSI Industries has a 52-week low of $11.44 and a 52-week high of $17.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 2.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $452.10 million, a P/E ratio of 16.53 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a 50 day moving average of $15.32 and a 200 day moving average of $15.06.

LSI Industries (NASDAQ:LYTS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The construction company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $129.01 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $127.28 million. LSI Industries had a return on equity of 12.97% and a net margin of 5.32%. On average, equities analysts predict that LSI Industries will post 0.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LSI Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. LSI Industries’s payout ratio is 21.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of LSI Industries in a report on Friday, August 16th.

LSI Industries Company Profile

LSI Industries Inc produces and sells non-residential lighting and retail display solutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. It operates through two segments, Lighting and Display Solutions. The Lighting segment manufactures, markets, and sells non-residential outdoor and indoor lighting fixture and control solutions in the commercial and industrial markets.