Bae Systems PLC (OTCMKTS:BAESY) Short Interest Down 43.0% in March

Key Points

• Short interest fell 43% in March, dropping to 111,331 shares as of March 31 (from 195,196 on March 15), with a days-to-cover of just 0.2 and an effectively negligible short percent reported.
• Several hedge funds modestly increased stakes, but institutional ownership remains very low at 0.21% of the stock.
• Shares trade near $119.16 with 50‑/200‑day moving averages of $115.69/$105.21 and a one‑year range of $84.50–$126.00; analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy (4 Buys, 3 Holds).

Bae Systems PLC (OTCMKTS:BAESY - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 111,331 shares, a drop of 43.0% from the March 15th total of 195,196 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 624,999 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sit Investment Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Bae Systems by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. now owns 35,476 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $3,295,000 after acquiring an additional 910 shares during the period. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Bae Systems during the 4th quarter worth about $98,000. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Bae Systems by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. now owns 70,620 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $6,512,000 after buying an additional 4,527 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Bae Systems by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,690 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Finally, L & S Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Bae Systems by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. L & S Advisors Inc now owns 21,507 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,998,000 after buying an additional 2,662 shares during the period. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Bae Systems Stock Performance

Shares of BAESY opened at $119.16 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $115.69 and a 200-day moving average of $105.21. Bae Systems has a one year low of $84.50 and a one year high of $126.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BAESY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded Bae Systems from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Kepler Capital Markets raised shares of Bae Systems from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Bae Systems in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Bae Systems has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Bae Systems Company Profile

BAE Systems plc is a global defense, security and aerospace company that designs, develops and manufactures a broad range of military and related products and services. Formed in 1999 through the combination of British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems, the company supplies platforms, systems and support across air, land, maritime and cyber domains. Its portfolio spans combat and support aircraft systems, naval shipbuilding and subsystems, armored and land combat solutions, electronic and sensor systems, munitions, and intelligence, surveillance and cybersecurity capabilities.

BAE Systems serves government and military customers worldwide, with particularly large footprints in the United Kingdom and the United States as well as operations and sales across Europe, the Middle East, Australia and other markets.

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