Short Interest in KBC Group SA (OTCMKTS:KBCSY) Rises By 651.0%

KBC Group SA (OTCMKTS:KBCSY) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 5,077 shares, a growth of 651.0% from the February 12th total of 676 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 36,836 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 36,836 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days.

KBC Group Trading Down 0.0%

OTCMKTS:KBCSY traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $63.81. 2,792 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 21,785. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $68.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.30. KBC Group has a 1 year low of $38.90 and a 1 year high of $73.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.86, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.55.

KBC Group (OTCMKTS:KBCSY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.02. KBC Group had a net margin of 15.70% and a return on equity of 13.89%. The business had revenue of $3.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.64 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that KBC Group will post 4.28 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating on shares of KBC Group in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating on shares of KBC Group in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of KBC Group in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Barclays cut shares of KBC Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Zacks Research raised KBC Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, KBC Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

About KBC Group

KBC Group is a Belgian bank-insurance group headquartered in Brussels that combines retail and commercial banking with life and non-life insurance, asset management, leasing and related financial services. The company operates an integrated bank-insurance model designed to serve both individual consumers and corporate clients, offering deposit accounts, lending and mortgage products, payment and treasury services, pension and protection insurance, investment solutions and wealth management.

The group’s banking activities include retail and private banking, corporate and commercial banking, and specialized finance such as leasing and factoring.