NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI) Short Interest Up 27.7% in December

NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 7,963,942 shares, an increase of 27.7% from the November 30th total of 6,236,272 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,217,630 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,217,630 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Insider Transactions at NXP Semiconductors

In other NXP Semiconductors news, insider Julie Southern acquired 225 shares of NXP Semiconductors stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $225.48 per share, for a total transaction of $50,733.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 11,937 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,691,554.76. This trade represents a 1.92% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Wuamett sold 8,372 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.01, for a total value of $1,733,087.72. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 19,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,969,416.75. This represents a 30.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NXP Semiconductors

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in NXP Semiconductors in the 2nd quarter valued at $453,050,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in NXP Semiconductors by 11.9% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,583,718 shares of the semiconductor provider’s stock valued at $2,865,690,000 after buying an additional 1,333,920 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in NXP Semiconductors by 307.7% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,179,129 shares of the semiconductor provider’s stock worth $268,523,000 after buying an additional 889,883 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its stake in NXP Semiconductors by 73.6% in the 2nd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,086,769 shares of the semiconductor provider’s stock worth $454,862,000 after acquiring an additional 884,403 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rafferty Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of NXP Semiconductors by 56.3% in the 2nd quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 1,916,922 shares of the semiconductor provider’s stock valued at $418,828,000 after acquiring an additional 690,277 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.54% of the company’s stock.

NXP Semiconductors Stock Down 1.3%

NXP Semiconductors stock opened at $217.06 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $212.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $219.30. The company has a current ratio of 2.37, a quick ratio of 1.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. NXP Semiconductors has a 1-year low of $148.09 and a 1-year high of $255.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 1.46.

NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The semiconductor provider reported $3.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.12 by ($0.01). NXP Semiconductors had a return on equity of 26.92% and a net margin of 17.11%.The company had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.45 earnings per share. NXP Semiconductors’s revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that NXP Semiconductors will post 10.28 earnings per share for the current year.

NXP Semiconductors Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th will be given a dividend of $1.014 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 10th. This represents a $4.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. NXP Semiconductors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of NXP Semiconductors from $289.00 to $292.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $280.00 price target on shares of NXP Semiconductors in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of NXP Semiconductors from $240.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Arete increased their price objective on NXP Semiconductors from $273.90 to $324.40 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $220.00 target price on NXP Semiconductors and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, NXP Semiconductors currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $260.62.

About NXP Semiconductors

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, that designs and supplies mixed-signal and standard product solutions for a broad range of end markets. The company focuses on enabling secure connections and infrastructure for embedded applications, developing technologies used across automotive, industrial and Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, and communication infrastructure segments. NXP’s offerings target customers that require reliable, secure, and high-performance semiconductor components for connected devices and systems.

Product lines include microcontrollers and application processors, secure elements and authentication technologies, RF and high-power analog components, connectivity solutions, and vehicle networking and infotainment systems.