Cohu, Inc. (NASDAQ:COHU) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Cohu, Inc. (NASDAQ:COHU) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,900,000 shares, a growth of 8.0% from the December 15th total of 1,760,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 306,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.2 days. Currently, 4.2% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Cohu Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of COHU traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $24.40. The stock had a trading volume of 374,422 shares, compared to its average volume of 268,449. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 4.69 and a current ratio of 6.38. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.91. Cohu has a one year low of $22.80 and a one year high of $36.60.

Cohu (NASDAQ:COHU) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The semiconductor company reported ($0.17) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.15) by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $95.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $95.75 million. Cohu had a negative return on equity of 1.01% and a negative net margin of 11.35%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 36.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.27 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Cohu will post -0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COHU has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Cohu from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 1st. Craig Hallum upgraded shares of Cohu from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Needham & Company LLC downgraded shares of Cohu from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on Cohu from $36.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cohu presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $31.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of COHU. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in Cohu by 49.2% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,622 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 535 shares during the period. Sheets Smith Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Cohu in the 4th quarter worth about $205,000. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Cohu by 59.7% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 8,823 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 3,297 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP grew its position in shares of Cohu by 34.3% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 9,922 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 2,532 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meros Investment Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Cohu during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $257,000. 94.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Cohu

Cohu, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides semiconductor test equipment and services in China, the United States, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and internationally. The company supplies semiconductor test and inspection handlers, micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) test modules, test contactors, thermal sub-systems, and semiconductor automated test equipment for semiconductor manufacturers and test subcontractors.