Five Below, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVE) Short Interest Up 38.0% in March

Key Points

• Short interest up 38% — Short interest rose 38.0% in March to 2,219,909 shares (about 4.1% of the stock), producing a short-interest ratio of 1.5 days based on average daily volume.
• Strong quarterly results: Five Below reported $4.31 EPS (vs. $4.00 est.) and $1.73B revenue (up 24.3% YoY), prompting several price‑target increases and a MarketBeat consensus of a Moderate Buy with a $240.10 target.
• Notable insider selling — COO Kenneth Bull and Director Ronald Sargent each sold 10,000 shares in March, and insiders have sold 21,925 shares (~$5.04M) in the last 90 days while collectively owning 1.90% of the company.

Five Below, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVE - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,219,909 shares, an increase of 38.0% from the March 15th total of 1,608,101 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,503,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Approximately 4.1% of the company's stock are sold short.

Five Below Price Performance

Shares of FIVE stock traded up $3.47 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $223.32. The company had a trading volume of 1,048,484 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,331,344. Five Below has a 52-week low of $61.53 and a 52-week high of $238.40. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $219.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $188.30. The company has a market capitalization of $12.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.07.

Five Below (NASDAQ:FIVE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $4.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.00 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.71 billion. Five Below had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 18.70%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 24.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.48 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Five Below will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Kenneth R. Bull sold 10,000 shares of Five Below stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.14, for a total value of $2,341,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 92,531 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,665,208.34. The trade was a 9.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Ronald Sargent sold 10,000 shares of Five Below stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.28, for a total value of $2,312,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 83,674 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,352,122.72. This represents a 10.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 21,925 shares of company stock worth $5,043,608. Company insiders own 1.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Five Below by 35.9% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 681 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $128,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Five Below by 88.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 9,352 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,762,000 after acquiring an additional 4,402 shares during the last quarter. Bayban bought a new position in shares of Five Below during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Five Below by 24.1% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 8,993 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,694,000 after acquiring an additional 1,748 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kera Capital Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of Five Below by 25.8% during the 4th quarter. Kera Capital Partners Inc. now owns 4,002 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $767,000 after acquiring an additional 821 shares during the last quarter.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on FIVE shares. Guggenheim boosted their target price on Five Below from $225.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Loop Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Five Below in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Five Below from $260.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Craig Hallum reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $246.00 price objective on shares of Five Below in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $206.00 price target on shares of Five Below in a research note on Monday, February 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $240.10.

Key Five Below News

Here are the key news stories impacting Five Below this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added FIVE to a momentum-anomaly buy screen, calling it a top name as markets lifted on hopes of a truce — momentum signals can attract short-term flows and margin-focused traders. Buy 3 Momentum Anomaly Stocks as Potential Truce Deal Propels Markets
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks placed FIVE on its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth list, a formal upgrade that can prompt buy-side attention and increase analyst-driven demand. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for April 15th
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks piece highlights FIVE as a strong growth stock, reinforcing the growth narrative that supports its premium valuation and investor sentiment. Here's Why Five Below (FIVE) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple consumer-facing product writeups (Cheapism’s roundup of 16 new items under $7, MSN/AOL features on $5–$15 pet items, and a list of seasonal chocolate bars) point to fresh, low-price merchandise that can drive foot traffic, impulse buys and higher comp-store sales. Retail merchandising momentum is a direct revenue driver for Five Below’s model. 16 New Five Below Products Under $7 That Just Hit Shelves
• Positive Sentiment: Product-specific coverage (MSN: $7 pet find; MSN: $5 pet toy; AOL: $15 pet stairs) emphasizes category breadth and everyday-value merchandising that can expand basket sizes and repeat visits from pet owners. Five Below just dropped a whimsical $7 find pets will instantly claim as their own
• Neutral Sentiment: Yahoo Finance examines how FIVE’s investment story is shifting with new targets and expectations — useful context for longer-term fundamental investors but ambiguous near-term impact until specific guidance or analyst targets change. How The Five Below (FIVE) Investment Story Is Shifting With New Targets And Expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks compares Five Below to peers in retail/wholesale, a relative-performance piece that helps contextually position the stock but doesn’t on its own change fundamentals. Are Retail-Wholesale Stocks Lagging Five Below (FIVE) This Year?

About Five Below

Five Below, Inc NASDAQ: FIVE is an American specialty discount retailer offering a broad assortment of merchandise priced primarily at $5 or below. Since its founding in 2002 by David Schlessinger and Tom Vellios, the company has pursued a value-focused retail model targeting tweens, teens and beyond, with stores designed to deliver trend-driven products at an accessible price point. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Five Below has grown into a national chain operating in dozens of U.S.

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