Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LIXT) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LIXT) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of May. As of May 29th, there was short interest totaling 246,970 shares, a growth of 252.3% from the May 14th total of 70,108 shares. Approximately 1.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 112,419 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days.

Lixte Biotechnology Price Performance

Shares of LIXT traded down $1.06 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $6.19. The stock had a trading volume of 871,824 shares, compared to its average volume of 211,115. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.97 million, a P/E ratio of -5.48 and a beta of 1.27. Lixte Biotechnology has a 1-year low of $0.64 and a 1-year high of $7.51.

Lixte Biotechnology (NASDAQ:LIXT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported ($0.18) EPS for the quarter.

Institutional Trading of Lixte Biotechnology

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in LIXT. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec grew its holdings in shares of Lixte Biotechnology by 83.6% during the fourth quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 93,380 shares of the company’s stock valued at $367,000 after buying an additional 42,530 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of Lixte Biotechnology by 47.0% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 107,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $422,000 after acquiring an additional 34,350 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Lixte Biotechnology during the fourth quarter worth about $57,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lixte Biotechnology during the fourth quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lixte Biotechnology by 25.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 52,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $205,000 after acquiring an additional 10,722 shares in the last quarter. 5.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LIXT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lixte Biotechnology to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Lixte Biotechnology from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

Lixte Biotechnology Company Profile

Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of small-molecule therapies for the treatment of cancer. The company’s research centers on selectively targeting key enzymes and pathways involved in DNA damage response and cell cycle regulation, with the goal of creating novel oncology drugs that improve patient outcomes with manageable safety profiles.

Lixte’s lead programs include selective inhibitors of cell cycle checkpoints and related targets, designed to potentiate the effects of standard-of-care chemotherapies and overcome resistance mechanisms.