Natural Resource Partners (NYSE:NRP) Sees Large Volume Increase After Dividend Announcement

Natural Resource Partners LP (NYSE:NRP) shares saw strong trading volume on Friday following a dividend announcement from the company. 87,222 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 85% from the previous session’s volume of 47,092 shares.The stock last traded at $114.25 and had previously closed at $123.50.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be given a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. Natural Resource Partners’s payout ratio is 27.47%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Natural Resource Partners in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Natural Resource Partners Stock Down 2.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $1.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.05 and a beta of 0.22. The company has a quick ratio of 2.14, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $115.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $107.93.

Natural Resource Partners (NYSE:NRP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The energy company reported $2.27 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $46.71 million for the quarter. Natural Resource Partners had a return on equity of 25.31% and a net margin of 64.78%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Resource Partners

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Natural Resource Partners by 144.0% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 266 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new position in Natural Resource Partners during the fourth quarter valued at $104,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Natural Resource Partners in the 2nd quarter worth about $137,000. State of Wyoming boosted its position in Natural Resource Partners by 65.4% during the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,871 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $196,000 after acquiring an additional 740 shares during the period. Finally, Novare Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Natural Resource Partners during the 4th quarter worth about $204,000. 31.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Natural Resource Partners

Natural Resource Partners LP (NYSE: NRP) is a master limited partnership that acquires and manages royalty and other mineral interests in coal and other natural resources across North America and Australia. The partnership was formed in 2010 as a spin-out from a major U.S. coal producer and is headquartered in Fairmont, West Virginia. Its core business model centers on owning gross proceeds interests, gross royalty proceeds interests and fee minerals, which provide the right to receive a portion of revenues from mining and mineral production without operating the mines directly.

NRP’s U.S.