G. Willi-Food International, Ltd. (NASDAQ:WILC) Short Interest Up 35.6% in March

G. Willi-Food International, Ltd. (NASDAQ:WILC) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,828 shares, a growth of 35.6% from the February 26th total of 1,348 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,913 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of G. Willi-Food International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised G. Willi-Food International to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On G. Willi-Food International

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WILC. World Equity Group Inc. acquired a new position in G. Willi-Food International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $287,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of G. Willi-Food International by 408.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,903 shares of the company’s stock valued at $220,000 after buying an additional 8,757 shares during the period. Noked Israel Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of G. Willi-Food International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $230,000. Geode Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of G. Willi-Food International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $203,000. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of G. Willi-Food International in the first quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.45% of the company’s stock.

G. Willi-Food International Stock Performance

Shares of WILC opened at $25.00 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $348.25 million, a P/E ratio of 13.16 and a beta of 0.85. G. Willi-Food International has a 1 year low of $12.54 and a 1 year high of $31.16. The company’s fifty day moving average is $27.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.24.

G. Willi-Food International (NASDAQ:WILC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 24th. The company reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $52.83 million during the quarter. G. Willi-Food International had a net margin of 14.75% and a return on equity of 14.37%.

G. Willi-Food International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 29th. Investors of record on Monday, April 13th will be given a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 13th. G. Willi-Food International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.11%.

G. Willi-Food International Company Profile

G. Willi-Food International, Inc is a specialty food manufacturer based in Porterville, California, that develops, produces and distributes a variety of seasoned and roasted nut products, trail mixes and snack foods. The company serves both retail and foodservice channels through branded and private-label offerings, catering to grocery chains, club stores, convenience outlets, airlines, hotels, universities and restaurants throughout North America.

Founded in 1977, G. Willi-Food has expanded from a single roasting line to multiple production facilities in California, supported by satellite distribution centers to ensure efficient delivery and inventory management.