HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 7,445,268 shares, a growth of 21.7% from the January 15th total of 6,119,288 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,879,878 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.0 days. Currently, 0.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 0.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,879,878 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.0 days.

HSBC Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE:HSBC opened at $85.19 on Tuesday. HSBC has a 1 year low of $45.66 and a 1 year high of $90.81. The business has a fifty day moving average of $82.14 and a 200-day moving average of $73.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.92. The stock has a market cap of $292.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.93, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.52.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HSBC

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSBC. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HSBC by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,800,748 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,400,385,000 after buying an additional 402,288 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in HSBC by 1.8% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 10,575,644 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $750,659,000 after acquiring an additional 185,073 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley boosted its position in shares of HSBC by 15.3% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,483,883 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $588,757,000 after purchasing an additional 993,473 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in shares of HSBC by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,045,134 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $216,144,000 after purchasing an additional 136,342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its stake in HSBC by 77.0% during the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,443,716 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $113,577,000 after purchasing an additional 627,857 shares during the last quarter. 1.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on HSBC shares. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of HSBC from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded HSBC from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of HSBC in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded HSBC from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on HSBC in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued an “equal weight” rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $63.00.

HSBC Company Profile

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC) is a multinational banking and financial services organization headquartered in London. It traces its origins to the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, founded in 1865 to facilitate trade between Europe and Asia, and has since grown into one of the world’s largest banking groups. The company is publicly listed in multiple markets, including the London Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and as an American depositary receipt on the New York Stock Exchange.

HSBC operates a universal banking model, serving retail, commercial, corporate and institutional clients.