Basf Se (OTCMKTS:BASFY) Short Interest Up 48.6% in March

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 48.6% in March to 142,598 shares (as of March 13), but the short‑interest ratio is only 0.4 days and about 0.0% of shares are sold short.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but averages a "Moderate Buy", based on 1 Strong Buy, 3 Buy, 3 Hold and 1 Sell ratings.
• In the latest quarter BASFY missed EPS at ($0.12) versus a $0.30 consensus, while revenue beat at $16.56 billion versus $14.32 billion expected.

Basf Se (OTCMKTS:BASFY - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 142,598 shares, an increase of 48.6% from the February 26th total of 95,941 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 338,463 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.4 days. Approximately 0.0% of the company's stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BASFY has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Basf from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Basf in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. DZ Bank upgraded Basf from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Barclays lowered Basf from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Santander cut Basf to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Basf presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Basf Stock Up 2.1%

OTCMKTS:BASFY traded up $0.31 on Friday, reaching $14.94. 195,437 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 173,284. The company has a current ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market capitalization of $53.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.29, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.81. Basf has a 12 month low of $10.75 and a 12 month high of $15.60. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $14.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.17.

Basf (OTCMKTS:BASFY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The basic materials company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.42). The firm had revenue of $16.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.32 billion. Basf had a return on equity of 4.37% and a net margin of 2.59%. Equities analysts predict that Basf will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Basf

BASF SE is a Germany-based chemical company founded in 1865 (originally Badische Anilin- & Soda-Fabrik) and headquartered in Ludwigshafen. It is one of the world's largest chemical producers, supplying raw materials, intermediates and finished chemical products to a broad range of industries including automotive, construction, agriculture, consumer goods, electronics and industrial manufacturing. The company combines large-scale production with global commercial and logistics networks to serve customers in many end markets.

BASF's activities span basic and specialty chemicals, performance materials, functional additives, catalysts and coatings, as well as products for nutrition and personal care.

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