Short Interest in Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG) Expands By 59.0%

14 Mar 2026, 00:45 by Sarita Garza · The Markets Daily

Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG – Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 8,724,370 shares, a growth of 59.0% from the February 12th total of 5,488,558 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,870,402 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.7 days. Approximately 6.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Approximately 6.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,870,402 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.7 days.

Leggett & Platt Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE:LEG traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $10.18. The company had a trading volume of 1,229,139 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,569,365. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $11.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.02 and a beta of 0.71. Leggett & Platt has a 1 year low of $6.47 and a 1 year high of $13.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.25, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46.

Leggett & Platt (NYSE:LEG – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.22. Leggett & Platt had a net margin of 5.80% and a return on equity of 15.00%. The firm had revenue of $938.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $938.74 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.21 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Leggett & Platt will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leggett & Platt Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Leggett & Platt’s dividend payout ratio is 11.83%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leggett & Platt

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Leggett & Platt by 59.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,054 shares of the company’s stock valued at $372,000 after buying an additional 17,561 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in shares of Leggett & Platt by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 14,661 shares of the company’s stock worth $116,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Leggett & Platt by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 454,096 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,592,000 after purchasing an additional 13,187 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Leggett & Platt by 36.3% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 1,175,452 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,298,000 after purchasing an additional 312,840 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Leggett & Platt by 113.5% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 109,638 shares of the company’s stock valued at $866,000 after buying an additional 58,292 shares during the last quarter. 64.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LEG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Leggett & Platt in a report on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Leggett & Platt from $10.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Leggett & Platt from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Leggett & Platt from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $11.67.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Leggett & Platt

About Leggett & Platt

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Leggett & Platt, Inc is a diversified manufacturer specializing in the design, engineering and production of a wide range of engineered components and products. The company’s offerings span several end markets, including residential bedding, commercial and residential furniture, automotive seating and interiors, aerospace applications and industrial products. By integrating product design with proprietary manufacturing processes, Leggett & Platt serves as a key supplier to both original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket distributors.