HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) Short Interest Up 36.7% in February

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 9,650,000 shares, an increase of 36.7% from the February 13th total of 7,060,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,210,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days. Approximately 0.3% of the shares of the company are short sold.

HSBC Price Performance

Shares of HSBC stock traded up $1.45 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $57.08. The stock had a trading volume of 3,599,342 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,645,185. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $53.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $203.60 billion, a PE ratio of 9.21, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.51. HSBC has a 12 month low of $38.34 and a 12 month high of $61.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.04. HSBC had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 12.20%. The firm had revenue of $11.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.79 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that HSBC will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

HSBC Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be issued a $1.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $7.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.61%. HSBC’s payout ratio is currently 115.81%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in HSBC in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HSBC by 58.2% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 571 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of HSBC by 342.9% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 589 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in HSBC by 138.5% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 775 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 1.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of HSBC from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating on shares of HSBC in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays raised shares of HSBC from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of HSBC in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded HSBC from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

HSBC Company Profile

HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking and wealth products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions.