Short Interest in Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLB) Decreases By 13.7%

Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLB) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 19,922,682 shares, a decrease of 13.7% from the January 15th total of 23,098,271 shares. Approximately 16.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 16,540,086 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 16,540,086 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days. Approximately 16.0% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Silicon Valley Capital Partners bought a new stake in shares of Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund by 488.2% in the second quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 300 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 249 shares during the period. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Davis Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 75.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund Trading Down 1.2%

NYSEARCA XLB traded down $0.65 on Tuesday, hitting $52.66. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 11,514,297 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,593,574. The firm has a market cap of $6.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.55 and a beta of 1.03. Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund has a 52-week low of $36.56 and a 52-week high of $54.14. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $48.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.77.

About Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund

Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Materials Select Sector Index (the Index). The Index includes companies involved in such industries as chemicals; metals and mining; paper and forest products; containers and packaging, and construction materials. The Fund’s investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc