Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) saw a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 4,876,942 shares, a growth of 42.7% from the February 12th total of 3,417,203 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,984,545 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days. Currently, 11.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 11.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,984,545 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Itron from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Johnson Rice upgraded shares of Itron from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered Itron from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Guggenheim set a $155.00 target price on Itron in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on Itron from $125.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $137.10.

Itron Stock Down 0.7%

NASDAQ ITRI traded down $0.62 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $90.00. 539,878 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,521,300. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.80. The company has a market capitalization of $4.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.44. The company’s 50-day moving average is $97.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $106.83. Itron has a one year low of $88.57 and a one year high of $142.00.

Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $571.66 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $561.31 million. Itron had a net margin of 12.72% and a return on equity of 20.04%. The firm’s revenue was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.35 earnings per share. Itron has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.300 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.750-6.250 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Itron will post 5.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Itron news, SVP Donald L. Reeves III sold 519 shares of Itron stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.84, for a total value of $50,778.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 29,951 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,930,405.84. The trade was a 1.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Laurie Ann Pulatie-Hahn sold 729 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.17, for a total value of $73,023.93. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 32,950 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,300,601.50. This represents a 2.16% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 51,180 shares of company stock worth $5,085,475 in the last quarter. 1.45% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Itron

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Itron by 25.3% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 401 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank raised its holdings in Itron by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 13,060 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,627,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. PFG Investments LLC raised its holdings in Itron by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 2,059 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $256,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in Itron by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 443 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Itron by 3.5% during the second quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,398 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $447,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. 96.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Itron

Itron, Inc (NASDAQ: ITRI) is a global technology company that develops innovative solutions to measure, manage and analyze the use of energy and water. Its comprehensive portfolio includes smart meters, data collection devices, communication networks and advanced software applications designed to optimize utility operations and foster sustainable resource management. The company’s offerings enable utilities and cities to accurately monitor consumption patterns, streamline billing processes and improve grid reliability.

Itron’s product lineup spans a range of hardware and software solutions, from residential and commercial smart meters to meter data management systems (MDMS), networked communication platforms and analytics tools.