Short Interest in Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) Grows By 136.9%

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totaling 82,804 shares, an increase of 136.9% from the July 15th total of 34,955 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 112,111 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.7 days. Approximately 0.0% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Japan Tob Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of OTCMKTS JAPAY traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $22.31. The company had a trading volume of 49,679 shares, compared to its average volume of 143,189. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.88. Japan Tob has a twelve month low of $15.56 and a twelve month high of $22.62. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $19.74 and its 200-day moving average is $19.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.22 billion, a PE ratio of 16.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.27.

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $6.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Japan Tob will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Japan Tob

A hedge fund recently bought a new position in Japan Tob stock. X Square Capital LLC bought a new stake in Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 9,844 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $608,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on JAPAY. Zacks Research upgraded Japan Tob from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. BTIG Research began coverage on Japan Tob in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Japan Tob currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.00.

About Japan Tob

Japan Tobacco Inc (OTC: JAPAY) is a Tokyo-based multinational company primarily engaged in the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. The company’s core activities include the development, production and distribution of cigarettes and other nicotine-delivery products for domestic and international markets. Japan Tobacco also pursues business activities beyond tobacco, including pharmaceutical and processed?food operations through subsidiary units and strategic investments.

In its tobacco operations the company serves both the Japanese market and a broad international footprint through its global operating arm, Japan Tobacco International (JTI).