J. Sainsbury PLC (OTCMKTS:JSAIY) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

J. Sainsbury PLC (OTCMKTS:JSAIY) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 59,928 shares, an increase of 60.4% from the December 15th total of 37,355 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 39,281 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 39,281 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days.

J. Sainsbury Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of OTCMKTS JSAIY traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $17.11. The stock had a trading volume of 25,093 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,346. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $17.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.29. J. Sainsbury has a 52 week low of $11.68 and a 52 week high of $19.17.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of J. Sainsbury to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of J. Sainsbury in a research report on Sunday, December 14th. Kepler Capital Markets raised J. Sainsbury from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of J. Sainsbury to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of J. Sainsbury from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

J. Sainsbury Company Profile

J. Sainsbury PLC, trading in the United States under the ticker OTCMKTS:JSAIY, is one of the United Kingdom’s leading grocery retailers. Through its primary Sainsbury’s supermarket banner and smaller convenience formats under the Sainsbury’s Local name, the company offers a wide range of food and household products. In addition to its core retail operations, Sainsbury’s extends into general merchandise and clothing under the TU brand, serving both in-store and through its established e-commerce platform.

Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann, Sainsbury’s has grown from a single dairy shop in London’s Drury Lane to a nationwide retail network.