HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,780,000 shares, a decrease of 19.4% from the February 28th total of 9,650,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,400,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.2 days. Currently, 0.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

HSBC Stock Performance

Shares of HSBC stock opened at $57.77 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $205.71 billion, a PE ratio of 9.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.51. HSBC has a 12 month low of $39.04 and a 12 month high of $61.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $49.80.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.04. HSBC had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 12.20%. The business had revenue of $11.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.79 billion. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that HSBC will post 6.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HSBC Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a $1.80 dividend. This represents a $7.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. HSBC’s dividend payout ratio is 115.81%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HSBC

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Seven Mile Advisory lifted its position in shares of HSBC by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 5,405 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC grew its holdings in HSBC by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 3,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $162,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of HSBC by 58.2% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 571 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of HSBC by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 21,909 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $990,000 after buying an additional 235 shares during the period. Finally, Horizon Investments LLC raised its holdings in HSBC by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 17,302 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $856,000 after acquiring an additional 245 shares during the period. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.