Short Interest in Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPOK) Increases By 36.1%

Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPOK) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 554,500 shares, a growth of 36.1% from the June 30th total of 407,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 127,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.4 days.

Spok Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ:SPOK traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $15.43. 227,719 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 117,785. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $15.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.76. Spok has a one year low of $12.76 and a one year high of $18.14. The company has a market cap of $312.40 million, a P/E ratio of 18.59 and a beta of 0.35.

Spok (NASDAQ:SPOK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $34.91 million during the quarter. Spok had a return on equity of 9.56% and a net margin of 11.19%.

Spok Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a dividend of $0.313 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 19th. This represents a $1.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.11%. Spok’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 150.60%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com cut Spok from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday.

Insider Activity at Spok

In other Spok news, Director Barbara Peterson Byrne sold 5,955 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.18, for a total transaction of $90,396.90. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,473 shares in the company, valued at approximately $462,580.14. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 11.88% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Spok

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in Spok by 439.9% during the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,913 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 4,003 shares during the last quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Spok during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $112,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Spok in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $126,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in Spok by 82.8% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 8,577 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock worth $137,000 after buying an additional 3,884 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Spok during the first quarter worth $170,000. Institutional investors own 50.81% of the company’s stock.

Spok Company Profile

Spok Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiary, Spok, Inc, provides healthcare communication solutions in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. The company's products and services enhance workflows for clinicians and support administrative compliance. It delivers clinical information to care teams when and where it matters to enhance patient outcomes; and provides GenA Pager, a one-way alphanumeric pager.