WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE:WNS) Short Interest Up 38.3% in March

WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE:WNS) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 724,100 shares, an increase of 38.3% from the March 15th total of 523,500 shares. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 388,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days.

WNS Stock Performance

NYSE WNS opened at $51.31 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $55.32 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.14. WNS has a twelve month low of $46.89 and a twelve month high of $92.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 1.82.

WNS (NYSE:WNS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 18th. The business services provider reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.18. WNS had a return on equity of 21.71% and a net margin of 12.59%. The company had revenue of $315.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $313.21 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that WNS will post 3.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on WNS. Barrington Research reduced their target price on WNS from $80.00 to $72.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 5th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of WNS from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of WNS in a research report on Friday, March 1st. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded WNS from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $85.88.

Institutional Trading of WNS

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WNS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in WNS by 16.8% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,215 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 607 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates purchased a new position in WNS during the 1st quarter valued at about $433,000. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in WNS by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 15,150 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,295,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its holdings in WNS by 72.1% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 48,700 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,163,000 after buying an additional 20,400 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of WNS by 21.8% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 44,046 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,765,000 after buying an additional 7,878 shares during the last quarter. 97.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

WNS Company Profile

WNS (Holdings) Limited, a business process management (BPM) company, provides data, voice, analytical, and business transformation services worldwide. The company operates through two segments, WNS Global BPM and WNS Auto Claims BPM. It offers industry-specific services to clients primarily in insurance; diversified businesses, including manufacturing, retail, consumer packaged goods, media and entertainment, and telecommunication; travel and leisure; healthcare; utilities; shipping and logistics; Hi-tech and professional services; and banking and financial services.