Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) Short Interest Update

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,902,084 shares, a decline of 19.2% from the February 12th total of 2,355,369 shares. Approximately 2.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 763,509 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 763,509 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days. Approximately 2.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on DEC. William Blair initiated coverage on shares of Diversified Energy in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Diversified Energy from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Diversified Energy from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Johnson Rice upgraded shares of Diversified Energy from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $19.00 to $23.00 in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Diversified Energy from $17.00 to $15.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Diversified Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $20.50.

Diversified Energy Stock Up 1.1%

Diversified Energy stock opened at $14.60 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $13.46 and its 200 day moving average is $14.02. The company has a market capitalization of $1.11 billion, a PE ratio of 9.93 and a beta of 0.46. Diversified Energy has a 12-month low of $10.08 and a 12-month high of $16.85.

Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Diversified Energy will post 0.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Diversified Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Diversified Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 78.91%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Diversified Energy news, Director Randall S. Wade sold 2,100,000 shares of Diversified Energy stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.28, for a total value of $27,888,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,501,585 shares in the company, valued at $99,621,048.80. The trade was a 21.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diversified Energy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EIG Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Diversified Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $139,031,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Diversified Energy by 11.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,108,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,567,000 after acquiring an additional 435,222 shares during the last quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Diversified Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $46,334,000. Artemis Investment Management LLP increased its holdings in Diversified Energy by 114.2% during the fourth quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 2,595,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,555,000 after buying an additional 1,384,073 shares during the period. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Diversified Energy by 47.6% during the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 2,379,205 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,333,000 after buying an additional 767,378 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.51% of the company’s stock.

About Diversified Energy

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE: DEC) is an independent oil and natural gas producer focused on the acquisition and optimization of legacy onshore assets in the United States. The company’s portfolio spans thousands of producing wells and extensive leasehold positions across core regions such as Appalachia, the Permian Basin and the Mid-Continent. By targeting mature properties, Diversified Energy seeks to enhance long-term recovery through operational efficiencies and capital discipline.

The company’s business model centers on fee-based infrastructure and midstream services that provide stable and predictable cash flows.