Akzo Nobel Short Interest Declines 92.7% in September
Akzo Nobel's short interest fell 92.7% to 14,812 shares by Sept. 30, compared with 201,937 shares on Sept. 15. Short interest represented roughly 0.0% of shares and 0.1 days of average trading volume. The stock slipped 0.3% to $21.55, and its latest quarterly EPS of $0.41 missed the $0.45 consensus, though Oddo Bhf upgraded the shares to Outperform.
Akzo Nobel’s September short position ended at 14,812 shares, down sharply from 201,937 two weeks earlier. That tiny remaining bearish bet equaled about 0.0% of shares and 0.1 days of typical trading, based on average daily volume near 291,171 shares.
The Dutch paints and coatings maker, whose brands include Dulux and Sikkens, recently posted quarterly EPS of $0.41, missing the $0.45 consensus, with revenue of $2.95 billion. Its shares slipped $0.06 to $21.55. Oddo Bhf upgraded the stock to Outperform, while the overall analyst view remained Hold.
A sharp drop in short interest and an analyst upgrade could modestly improve sentiment toward Akzo Nobel, potentially affecting shareholders, employees, suppliers, and customers tied to construction, automotive, and industrial coatings. Because short interest is already minimal, the move may say more about reduced bearish positioning than about fundamentals. If earnings pressure persists, however, paint and coating availability, pricing, and investment decisions across building and manufacturing supply chains could still be influenced by how the company manages costs and demand.