Short Interest in Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. (NYSE:WHG) Declines By 18.9%

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. (NYSE:WHG) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,300 shares, a decline of 18.9% from the July 15th total of 5,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 8,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days. Approximately 0.1% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Westwood Holdings Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 10th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SpiderRock Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Westwood Holdings Group in the 1st quarter worth about $144,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Westwood Holdings Group during the fourth quarter worth about $166,000. Cerity Partners LLC bought a new stake in Westwood Holdings Group during the fourth quarter worth about $258,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Westwood Holdings Group by 7.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,281 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 1,575 shares during the period. Finally, Prosperity Consulting Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Westwood Holdings Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $537,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 56.64% of the company’s stock.

Westwood Holdings Group Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:WHG traded down $0.12 on Friday, hitting $12.29. The company had a trading volume of 2,305 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,723. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.50 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $12.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.46 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.00 and a beta of 1.17. Westwood Holdings Group has a 1 year low of $8.91 and a 1 year high of $13.63.

Westwood Holdings Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.88%. Westwood Holdings Group’s payout ratio is 44.12%.

Westwood Holdings Group Company Profile

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manages investment assets and provides services for its clients. The company operates in two segments, Advisory and Trust. The Advisory segment provides investment advisory services to corporate retirement plans, public retirement plans, endowments, foundations, individuals, and the Westwood Funds; and investment sub-advisory services to mutual funds, pooled investment vehicles, and its Trust segment.