Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BOTJ) Short Interest Up 84.0% in July

Key Points

• Short interest in Bank of the James Financial Group rose 84% to 11,016 shares as of July 15, representing 0.3% of shares outstanding and a 0.5-day days-to-cover ratio.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.5% of BOTJ, with several firms increasing their positions or initiating new stakes. Analyst sentiment remains generally cautious, with a consensus “Hold” rating despite one recent “Buy” upgrade.
• BOTJ shares traded at $27.74, near their 52-week high of $29.79, while the company most recently reported quarterly EPS of $0.61, revenue of $12.70 million, a 17.17% net margin, and a 14.13% return on equity.

Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BOTJ - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 11,016 shares, an increase of 84.0% from the June 30th total of 5,988 shares. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 24,162 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.5 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank of the James Financial Group

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BOTJ. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Bank of the James Financial Group by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 33,458 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $689,000 after purchasing an additional 731 shares in the last quarter. Fourthstone LLC lifted its position in shares of Bank of the James Financial Group by 10.3% during the 4th quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 321,908 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $5,981,000 after acquiring an additional 30,126 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bank of the James Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth about $266,000. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in Bank of the James Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at $2,933,000. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Bank of the James Financial Group by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 36,238 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $565,000 after purchasing an additional 868 shares during the last quarter. 18.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BOTJ has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Bank of the James Financial Group in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Bank of the James Financial Group to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Bank of the James Financial Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BOTJ traded down $0.05 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $27.74. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,825 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,574. The firm has a market capitalization of $125.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.46 and a beta of 0.17. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $24.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $22.29. Bank of the James Financial Group has a 1 year low of $13.38 and a 1 year high of $29.79.

Bank of the James Financial Group (NASDAQ:BOTJ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $12.70 million during the quarter. Bank of the James Financial Group had a net margin of 17.17% and a return on equity of 14.13%.

Bank of the James Financial Group Company Profile

Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc is the bank holding company for The Bank of the James, a Virginia-chartered commercial bank headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. Established in the early 20th century, the organization has developed a reputation for community banking with a focus on personalized service. As a NASDAQ-listed entity under the ticker BOTJ, the holding company oversees a network of full-service branches throughout Central and Southwestern Virginia.

The Bank of the James offers a comprehensive suite of consumer and commercial banking solutions.

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