The York Water Company (NASDAQ:YORW) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

The York Water Company (NASDAQ:YORW) saw a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 177,000 shares, a growth of 44.7% from the December 15th total of 122,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 52,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days.

York Water Stock Performance

Shares of YORW opened at $30.85 on Thursday. York Water has a 1 year low of $30.02 and a 1 year high of $41.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $443.31 million, a PE ratio of 20.84 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.88. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.77.

York Water Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.2192 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.84%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a boost from York Water’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. York Water’s payout ratio is 59.46%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On York Water

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of YORW. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of York Water during the second quarter worth $102,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of York Water by 69.2% during the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 5,600 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $210,000 after acquiring an additional 2,291 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new position in shares of York Water in the 2nd quarter valued at about $238,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new stake in shares of York Water during the 3rd quarter worth about $268,000. Finally, FMR LLC raised its position in shares of York Water by 79.9% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,271 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $272,000 after acquiring an additional 3,229 shares in the last quarter. 49.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About York Water

The York Water Company impounds, purifies, and distributes drinking water. It owns and operates three wastewater collection systems; ten wastewater collection and treatment systems; and two reservoirs, including Lake Williams and Lake Redman, which hold approximately 2.2 billion gallons of water. The company also operates a 15-mile pipeline from the Susquehanna River to Lake Redman; and owns satellite groundwater systems in York, Adams, and Lancaster Counties, as well as two impounding dams on primary system located in York and Springfield Townships.