B. Riley Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:RILY) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

B. Riley Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:RILY) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,300,000 shares, a growth of 22.2% from the August 15th total of 2,700,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 276,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 11.9 days. Currently, 21.9% of the company’s shares are sold short.

B. Riley Financial Stock Up 0.1 %

NASDAQ:RILY traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $45.74. 473,913 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 388,081. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.09, a current ratio of 4.06 and a quick ratio of 4.06. B. Riley Financial has a twelve month low of $24.95 and a twelve month high of $60.72. The stock has a market cap of $1.40 billion, a PE ratio of 30.29 and a beta of 1.88. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $50.97 and a 200 day moving average of $40.65.

B. Riley Financial (NASDAQ:RILY) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 9th. The asset manager reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter. B. Riley Financial had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 15.96%. The business had revenue of $406.28 million during the quarter.

B. Riley Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, August 11th were given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.75%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 10th. B. Riley Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 264.90%.

Insider Activity

In other B. Riley Financial news, Director Randall E. Paulson bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $55.00 per share, with a total value of $275,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 308,979 shares in the company, valued at $16,993,845. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Bryant R. Riley acquired 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $47.31 per share, for a total transaction of $1,182,750.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 6,748,773 shares in the company, valued at approximately $319,284,450.63. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Randall E. Paulson acquired 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 25th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $55.00 per share, for a total transaction of $275,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 308,979 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,993,845. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought 102,727 shares of company stock valued at $5,457,735 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 33.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of B. Riley Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky raised its stake in shares of B. Riley Financial by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 5,661 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $260,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC raised its position in B. Riley Financial by 28.6% during the second quarter. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC now owns 20,555 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $945,000 after acquiring an additional 4,574 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in B. Riley Financial by 12.4% in the second quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 32,301 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,484,000 after acquiring an additional 3,552 shares during the last quarter. Bayesian Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of B. Riley Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $259,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of B. Riley Financial by 161.5% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 287,634 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $13,225,000 after purchasing an additional 177,651 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 41.47% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on B. Riley Financial in a research report on Thursday, August 17th. They set a “hold” rating for the company.

About B. Riley Financial

B. Riley Financial, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services to corporate, institutional, and high net worth clients in North America, Australia, and Europe. The company operates through six segments: Capital Markets, Wealth Management, Financial Consulting, Auction and Liquidation, Communications, and Consumer.