Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NYSE:BLDR) Short Interest Up 22.0% in December

Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NYSE:BLDR) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,160,000 shares, an increase of 22.0% from the December 15th total of 2,590,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,290,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days. Approximately 2.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of Builders FirstSource in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Builders FirstSource from $211.00 to $188.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of Builders FirstSource from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Stephens lifted their price objective on Builders FirstSource from $178.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on Builders FirstSource in a report on Friday, October 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $232.00 price target on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Builders FirstSource currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $205.71.

Builders FirstSource Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of Builders FirstSource stock opened at $164.09 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $18.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 2.11. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $163.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $169.54. Builders FirstSource has a 12-month low of $130.75 and a 12-month high of $214.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Builders FirstSource (NYSE:BLDR) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). Builders FirstSource had a return on equity of 33.55% and a net margin of 7.40%. The firm had revenue of $4.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.44 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.24 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Builders FirstSource will post 11.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Cleveland A. Christophe sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.41, for a total transaction of $1,784,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 33,083 shares in the company, valued at $5,902,338.03. This represents a 23.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Builders FirstSource

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BLDR. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Builders FirstSource during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in Builders FirstSource in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Builders FirstSource during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new stake in shares of Builders FirstSource during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Builders FirstSource by 340.7% in the 3rd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 260 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.53% of the company’s stock.

About Builders FirstSource

Builders FirstSource, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and supplies building materials, manufactured components, and construction services to professional homebuilders, sub-contractors, remodelers, and consumers in the United States. It offers lumber and lumber sheet goods comprising dimensional lumber, plywood, and oriented strand board products that are used in on-site house framing; manufactured products, such as wood floor and roof trusses, floor trusses, wall panels, stairs, and engineered wood products; and windows, and interior and exterior door units, as well as interior trims and custom products comprising intricate mouldings, stair parts, and columns under the Synboard brand name.