Short Interest in Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE:ASPN) Declines By 15.3%

Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE:ASPN) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 9,720,000 shares, a decline of 15.3% from the February 13th total of 11,470,000 shares. Approximately 12.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,940,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.0 days.

Aspen Aerogels Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSE ASPN opened at $7.38 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.48 and a current ratio of 2.93. The company has a market capitalization of $605.19 million, a P/E ratio of 46.10 and a beta of 2.28. Aspen Aerogels has a one year low of $6.70 and a one year high of $33.15. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $10.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.82.

Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The construction company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.11. Aspen Aerogels had a return on equity of 7.49% and a net margin of 2.95%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Aspen Aerogels will post 0.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ASPN shares. StockNews.com upgraded Aspen Aerogels to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Barclays cut their price objective on Aspen Aerogels from $25.00 to $13.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Seaport Res Ptn downgraded Aspen Aerogels from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Roth Mkm cut their price objective on Aspen Aerogels from $22.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, B. Riley dropped their price target on Aspen Aerogels from $35.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $19.11.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Aspen Aerogels during the 4th quarter valued at $129,000. Palogic Value Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Aspen Aerogels during the 4th quarter valued at $1,544,000. Toronto Dominion Bank purchased a new stake in Aspen Aerogels in the fourth quarter worth $266,000. AWM Investment Company Inc. increased its stake in Aspen Aerogels by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. AWM Investment Company Inc. now owns 1,208,686 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $14,359,000 after purchasing an additional 34,115 shares during the period. Finally, Connective Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Aspen Aerogels in the fourth quarter worth $433,000. 97.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Aspen Aerogels Company Profile

Aspen Aerogels, Inc designs, develops, manufactures, and sells aerogel insulation products primarily for use in the energy infrastructure and sustainable insulation materials markets in the United States, Asia, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. It operates in two segments, Energy Industrial and Thermal Barrier.