Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:CALM) Short Interest Up 14.7% in January

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:CALM) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,300,000 shares, an increase of 14.7% from the January 15th total of 3,750,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 653,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.6 days. Approximately 10.6% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Letitia Callender Hughes sold 809 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.97, for a total transaction of $88,965.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 42,761 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,702,427.17. This represents a 1.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 13.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cal-Maine Foods

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Cal-Maine Foods during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Krane Funds Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Cal-Maine Foods during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Quarry LP grew its stake in Cal-Maine Foods by 32.5% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 770 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Cal-Maine Foods by 339.1% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,032 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $105,000 after buying an additional 797 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Cal-Maine Foods in the fourth quarter valued at $134,000. 84.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cal-Maine Foods Price Performance

CALM stock traded down $13.50 on Monday, hitting $95.10. 2,079,912 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 792,419. Cal-Maine Foods has a twelve month low of $54.88 and a twelve month high of $116.41. The business’s fifty day moving average is $106.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $90.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.40 and a beta of -0.12.

Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ:CALM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 7th. The basic materials company reported $4.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.05 by $0.42. Cal-Maine Foods had a net margin of 20.39% and a return on equity of 33.69%. The company had revenue of $954.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $751.50 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.35 earnings per share. Cal-Maine Foods’s revenue for the quarter was up 82.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Cal-Maine Foods will post 15.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Cal-Maine Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th.

Cal-Maine Foods Company Profile

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, grades, packages, markets, and distributes shell eggs. The company offers specialty shell eggs, such as nutritionally enhanced, cage free, organic, free-range, pasture-raised, and brown eggs under the Egg-Land's Best, Land O' Lakes, Farmhouse Eggs, Sunups, Sunny Meadow, and 4Grain brand names.