Norwood Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:NWFL) Short Interest Up 36.1% in February

Norwood Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:NWFL) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 41,100 shares, an increase of 36.1% from the January 31st total of 30,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 14,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days. Approximately 0.5% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NWFL has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Norwood Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Janney Montgomery Scott initiated coverage on Norwood Financial in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $31.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Norwood Financial in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $28.00 price objective on the stock.

Norwood Financial Trading Down 1.2 %

Norwood Financial stock traded down $0.31 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $25.17. 10,056 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,473. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $26.13 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $27.70. Norwood Financial has a 12 month low of $23.50 and a 12 month high of $34.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $203.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,517.00 and a beta of 0.59.

Norwood Financial (NASDAQ:NWFL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The financial services provider reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.17). Norwood Financial had a negative net margin of 0.16% and a positive return on equity of 8.38%. Analysts forecast that Norwood Financial will post 2.51 EPS for the current year.

Norwood Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th were paid a $0.31 dividend. This is a positive change from Norwood Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 15th. Norwood Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12,400.00%.

Insider Transactions at Norwood Financial

In related news, Director Ronald R. Schmalzle purchased 2,000 shares of Norwood Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 30th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $26.00 per share, with a total value of $52,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,621 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $458,146. This trade represents a 12.80 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have acquired a total of 12,255 shares of company stock valued at $319,732 over the last 90 days. 9.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Norwood Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jacobs Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norwood Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,671,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in shares of Norwood Financial in the fourth quarter worth approximately $232,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Norwood Financial by 48.9% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 9,086 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 2,985 shares during the last quarter. Raffles Associates LP bought a new stake in Norwood Financial in the 4th quarter worth about $544,000. Finally, Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust purchased a new position in shares of Norwood Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,292,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.08% of the company’s stock.

Norwood Financial Company Profile

Norwood Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Wayne Bank that provides various banking products and services. The company accepts a range of deposit products, including interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing transaction accounts, and statement savings and money market accounts, as well as certificate of deposits.