Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc. (NYSE:AHH) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc. (NYSE:AHH) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,270,000 shares, an increase of 22.0% from the February 28th total of 1,860,000 shares. Approximately 2.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 959,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days.

Armada Hoffler Properties Stock Down 6.0 %

Shares of Armada Hoffler Properties stock traded down $0.44 during trading on Thursday, reaching $6.92. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 913,502 shares, compared to its average volume of 642,730. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $8.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.11. The company has a quick ratio of 7.17, a current ratio of 8.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56. Armada Hoffler Properties has a 1-year low of $6.91 and a 1-year high of $12.46. The company has a market cap of $701.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.63 and a beta of 1.04.

Armada Hoffler Properties (NYSE:AHH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.21. Armada Hoffler Properties had a net margin of 5.99% and a return on equity of 5.96%. The business had revenue of $62.95 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $66.67 million. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Armada Hoffler Properties will post 1.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Armada Hoffler Properties Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 26th will be paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 26th. Armada Hoffler Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 175.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Armada Hoffler Properties from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 28th.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director A Russell Kirk acquired 50,000 shares of Armada Hoffler Properties stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $7.73 per share, for a total transaction of $386,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 119,430 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $923,193.90. This trade represents a 72.01 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 90,000 shares of company stock valued at $692,700. 11.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Armada Hoffler Properties

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Armada Hoffler Properties by 80.0% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,500 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Armada Hoffler Properties by 23.2% in the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 8,248 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $84,000 after buying an additional 1,551 shares in the last quarter. Stoneridge Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Armada Hoffler Properties during the 4th quarter worth $107,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new stake in shares of Armada Hoffler Properties during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $110,000. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Armada Hoffler Properties during the 4th quarter worth $115,000. 66.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Armada Hoffler Properties

Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc (the “Company”) is a vertically integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with over four decades of experience developing, building, acquiring, and managing high-quality retail, office, and multifamily properties located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States.