Short Interest in NatWest Group plc (NYSE:NWG) Drops By 27.9%

NatWest Group plc (NYSE:NWG) saw a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,040,000 shares, a decline of 27.9% from the February 28th total of 5,600,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 4,920,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.8 days. Currently, 0.1% of the company’s stock are short sold.

NatWest Group Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE NWG traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $11.95. 3,622,939 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,014,568. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.10 billion, a PE ratio of 8.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.22. NatWest Group has a 52-week low of $6.70 and a 52-week high of $12.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.06. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $11.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.40.

NatWest Group (NYSE:NWG) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $4.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.75 billion. Analysts forecast that NatWest Group will post 1.35 EPS for the current year.

NatWest Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.3899 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.8%. This is an increase from NatWest Group’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.36. NatWest Group’s payout ratio is presently 55.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. BNP Paribas lowered NatWest Group from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Peel Hunt cut NatWest Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, NatWest Group currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NatWest Group

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. OneAscent Financial Services LLC increased its holdings in NatWest Group by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. OneAscent Financial Services LLC now owns 12,211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 926 shares during the last quarter. Adero Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of NatWest Group by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Adero Partners LLC now owns 11,738 shares of the company’s stock valued at $119,000 after acquiring an additional 1,014 shares during the last quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of NatWest Group by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC now owns 48,904 shares of the company’s stock valued at $497,000 after acquiring an additional 1,093 shares in the last quarter. Pitcairn Co. lifted its stake in NatWest Group by 7.4% during the fourth quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 17,223 shares of the company’s stock worth $175,000 after purchasing an additional 1,193 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Optas LLC boosted its holdings in NatWest Group by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. Optas LLC now owns 11,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $121,000 after purchasing an additional 1,228 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 1.27% of the company’s stock.

About NatWest Group

NatWest Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services to personal, commercial, corporate, and institutional customers in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through Retail Banking, Private Banking, and Commercial & Institutional segments.