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

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 6,048,745 shares, an increase of 33.1% from the November 30th total of 4,545,518 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,501,122 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.0 days. Currently, 0.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Currently, 0.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,501,122 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.0 days.

HSBC Stock Up 0.5%

HSBC traded up $0.38 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $79.23. The company had a trading volume of 1,415,920 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,424,040. The company has a market cap of $272.16 billion, a PE ratio of 16.68, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.92. HSBC has a 1-year low of $45.66 and a 1-year high of $79.97. The business has a 50-day moving average of $72.47 and a 200-day moving average of $67.55.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.15. HSBC had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 12.78%. The company had revenue of $17.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.78 billion. As a group, analysts forecast that HSBC will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current year.

HSBC Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 7th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 7th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from HSBC’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. HSBC’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. BNP Paribas upgraded HSBC from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Zacks Research raised HSBC from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of HSBC in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of HSBC in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of HSBC from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $63.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HSBC

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in HSBC by 2.1% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,398,460 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,234,943,000 after purchasing an additional 355,089 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of HSBC by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 10,575,644 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $750,659,000 after buying an additional 185,073 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in HSBC by 1.1% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,726,420 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $271,438,000 after acquiring an additional 53,072 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in HSBC by 4.7% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,045,134 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $216,144,000 after acquiring an additional 136,342 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in HSBC by 14.7% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,311,820 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $93,113,000 after acquiring an additional 168,438 shares during the period. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About HSBC

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.