Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) Short Interest Down 16.2% in December

Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 19,100,000 shares, a decline of 16.2% from the November 30th total of 22,790,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 5,580,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.4 days. Currently, 10.8% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Leslie’s Trading Down 3.1 %

NASDAQ LESL traded down $0.07 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $2.16. 1,617,231 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,581,105. The stock has a market capitalization of $399.53 million, a PE ratio of -18.00 and a beta of 1.12. Leslie’s has a 12 month low of $2.02 and a 12 month high of $8.21. The company has a 50 day moving average of $2.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.00.

Leslie’s (NASDAQ:LESL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 25th. The company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.11 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $397.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.19 million. Leslie’s had a negative return on equity of 6.11% and a negative net margin of 1.76%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.14 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Leslie’s will post 0.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on LESL shares. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Leslie’s in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Leslie’s from $4.00 to $3.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group decreased their target price on Leslie’s from $4.00 to $3.75 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $3.61.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leslie’s

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LESL. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its holdings in Leslie’s by 6.3% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 81,345 shares of the company’s stock worth $341,000 after purchasing an additional 4,798 shares during the period. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Leslie’s by 36.1% in the 3rd quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC now owns 21,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,000 after buying an additional 5,700 shares during the period. IHT Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Leslie’s by 52.6% during the 3rd quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,760 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 5,776 shares during the last quarter. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Leslie’s during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Dark Forest Capital Management LP raised its stake in Leslie’s by 54.2% during the second quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 21,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $91,000 after acquiring an additional 7,650 shares during the period.

Leslie’s Company Profile

Leslie’s, Inc operates as a direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand in the United States. The company markets and sells pool and spa supplies and related products and services. It also offers various pool and spa maintenance items, such as chemicals, equipment and parts, cleaning and maintenance equipment, safety, recreational, and fitness related products.