Short Interest in Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PWOD) Grows By 19.4%

Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PWOD) was the target of a large increase in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 28,300 shares, an increase of 19.4% from the December 31st total of 23,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 22,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.3 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on Penns Woods Bancorp in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Penns Woods Bancorp

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new stake in Penns Woods Bancorp during the second quarter worth about $205,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Penns Woods Bancorp during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new stake in Penns Woods Bancorp in the second quarter worth $390,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Penns Woods Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth about $486,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Penns Woods Bancorp by 5.2% in the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 27,260 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $648,000 after purchasing an additional 1,340 shares during the last quarter. 27.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Penns Woods Bancorp Stock Performance

PWOD stock traded down $0.19 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $30.24. The stock had a trading volume of 9,592 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,690. Penns Woods Bancorp has a 52 week low of $17.01 and a 52 week high of $34.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $228.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.81 and a beta of 0.47.

Penns Woods Bancorp (NASDAQ:PWOD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.57 earnings per share for the quarter. Penns Woods Bancorp had a net margin of 14.87% and a return on equity of 9.26%.

Penns Woods Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.23%. Penns Woods Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 54.24%.

About Penns Woods Bancorp

Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Jersey Shore State Bank, which provides commercial and retail banking services to individuals, partnerships, non-profit organizations, and corporations. It accepts time, demand, and savings deposits, including super NOW accounts, statement savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as checking and individual retirement account (IRAs) accounts.