Short Interest in Sapiens International Co. (NASDAQ:SPNS) Expands By 36.7%

Sapiens International Co. (NASDAQ:SPNS) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 353,700 shares, an increase of 36.7% from the June 30th total of 258,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 144,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.4 days. Approximately 1.2% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Sapiens International Stock Performance

Shares of SPNS stock traded up $0.22 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $39.71. 131,473 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 192,521. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $35.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.97. The company has a market cap of $2.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.94 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.84. Sapiens International has a 12-month low of $24.39 and a 12-month high of $41.22.

Sapiens International (NASDAQ:SPNS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The technology company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $134.25 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $133.63 million. Sapiens International had a net margin of 12.52% and a return on equity of 17.41%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Sapiens International will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SPNS. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Sapiens International by 8.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,295,832 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $36,841,000 after buying an additional 106,358 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Sapiens International by 66.4% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 7,763 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $225,000 after purchasing an additional 3,098 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Sapiens International by 22.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 115,313 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $3,337,000 after purchasing an additional 21,375 shares during the last quarter. Mivtachim The Workers Social Insurance Fund Ltd. Under Special Management purchased a new position in shares of Sapiens International during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,861,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Sapiens International in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Institutional investors own 30.73% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on SPNS. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $38.00 price objective on shares of Sapiens International in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. StockNews.com cut Sapiens International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday.

Sapiens International Company Profile

Sapiens International Corporation N.V. provides software solutions for the insurance industry in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company provides various solutions for property and casualty commercial and personal lines, life and pensions, and reinsurance fields.