Short Interest in The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCKT) Rises By 43.3%

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCKT) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 323,600 shares, an increase of 43.3% from the February 13th total of 225,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 105,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.1 days. Currently, 1.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Barrington Research increased their price objective on shares of The Hackett Group from $28.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. StockNews.com lowered shares of The Hackett Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.67.

The Hackett Group Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of HCKT stock traded up $0.13 during trading on Monday, hitting $28.32. 94,146 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 102,699. The firm has a market capitalization of $787.04 million, a P/E ratio of 26.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.51 and a quick ratio of 1.51. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $30.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $29.00. The Hackett Group has a 52-week low of $20.23 and a 52-week high of $34.02.

The Hackett Group (NASDAQ:HCKT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The business services provider reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.41 by ($0.06). The Hackett Group had a net margin of 9.44% and a return on equity of 36.40%. The firm had revenue of $77.46 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $75.64 million. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Hackett Group will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hackett Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.69%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This is an increase from The Hackett Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.11. The Hackett Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.28%.

Institutional Trading of The Hackett Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in The Hackett Group by 353.1% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 947 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP increased its holdings in The Hackett Group by 383.4% in the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 2,741 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 2,174 shares during the last quarter. Longboard Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in The Hackett Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $207,000. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in The Hackett Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $219,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System acquired a new stake in The Hackett Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.12% of the company’s stock.

About The Hackett Group

The Hackett Group, Inc operates as an intellectual property-based executive advisory, strategic consulting, and digital transformation company in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Global Strategy & Business Transformation, Oracle Solutions, and SAP Solutions.