CPI Card Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PMTS) Short Interest Down 12.2% in January

CPI Card Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PMTS) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 207,613 shares, a decrease of 12.2% from the December 31st total of 236,395 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 33,043 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.3 days. Currently, 1.9% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 1.9% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 33,043 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.3 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on PMTS shares. B. Riley decreased their price objective on shares of CPI Card Group from $34.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 10th. DA Davidson lowered their price target on shares of CPI Card Group from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Roth Mkm set a $30.00 price objective on CPI Card Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Lake Street Capital set a $25.00 price objective on CPI Card Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded CPI Card Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $28.25.

CPI Card Group Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of PMTS opened at $13.13 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $149.55 million, a P/E ratio of 10.94 and a beta of 1.29. CPI Card Group has a 12 month low of $11.64 and a 12 month high of $34.25. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $14.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.32.

CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by ($0.16). CPI Card Group had a net margin of 2.79% and a negative return on equity of 58.98%. The business had revenue of $137.97 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $140.62 million. Equities research analysts forecast that CPI Card Group will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at CPI Card Group

In other news, major shareholder Equity Ulc Parallel49 sold 2,126,056 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.51, for a total value of $28,723,016.56. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,687,921 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $36,313,812.71. This represents a 44.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman H Sanford Riley bought 200,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $13.51 per share, with a total value of $2,702,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chairman directly owned 252,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,409,464.66. This trade represents a 381.93% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 2.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CPI Card Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in CPI Card Group by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 498,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,541,000 after buying an additional 26,848 shares during the last quarter. Vector Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of CPI Card Group by 18.6% in the third quarter. Vector Capital Management L.P. now owns 459,314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,954,000 after acquiring an additional 71,891 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of CPI Card Group by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC now owns 442,464 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,495,000 after acquiring an additional 51,139 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its position in shares of CPI Card Group by 56.3% during the second quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 357,754 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,486,000 after purchasing an additional 128,808 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in CPI Card Group by 12.6% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 125,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,977,000 after purchasing an additional 14,039 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 22.08% of the company’s stock.

About CPI Card Group

CPI Card Group, Inc (NASDAQ: PMTS) is a leading provider of payment, identification and related credential solutions for financial institutions, governments and private enterprises. The company specializes in the design, manufacturing and personalization of secure plastic and metal cards, including EMV chip, magnetic-stripe and contactless cards. CPI Card Group also offers digital credentialing services and cloud-based card management tools that enable real-time controls, mobile wallet integration, fraud monitoring and analytics.

With a focus on security and innovation, CPI Card Group integrates advanced features such as holograms, microprinting, RFID/NFC technology and laser-engraved artwork into its card products.