Hello Group Inc. Sponsored ADR (NASDAQ:MOMO) Short Interest Down 38.4% in April

Key Points

• Short interest down 38.4% — Short interest fell to 1,872,076 shares as of April 15 (a 38.4% drop from March 31), equal to about 4.1% of shares outstanding and a short-interest ratio of 2.8 days based on average volume.
• Dividend disclosed (called a cut) — The company announced an annual dividend of $0.28 per share (ex-dividend April 10, payable April 30), which the article characterizes as a dividend cut and reports a quoted yield of 475.0%.
• Valuation and analyst view — Shares traded at $6.17 with a market cap of $735.24 million and a P/E of 9.20; consensus analyst rating is "Hold" with an average target price of $8.10.

Hello Group Inc. Sponsored ADR (NASDAQ:MOMO - Get Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,872,076 shares, a drop of 38.4% from the March 31st total of 3,037,257 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 666,122 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.8 days. Approximately 4.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Hello Group Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of Hello Group stock traded up $0.02 during trading on Monday, hitting $6.17. 398,161 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 833,921. Hello Group has a fifty-two week low of $5.56 and a fifty-two week high of $9.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $735.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.20 and a beta of 0.42. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $6.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.58.

Hello Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.28 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 475.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Hello Group in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $8.10.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hello Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $245,000. XTX Topco Ltd raised its position in shares of Hello Group by 243.2% during the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 288,913 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $1,892,000 after purchasing an additional 204,719 shares during the last quarter. Verdad Advisers LP acquired a new position in shares of Hello Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $715,000. Numerai GP LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hello Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $720,000. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new position in shares of Hello Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $179,000. 50.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Hello Group

Hello Group Inc NASDAQ: MOMO is a China-based technology company specializing in mobile social networking and interactive entertainment. Its flagship product, the Momo app, offers location-based social discovery services that enable users to find and connect with new friends based on shared interests and geographic proximity. The platform integrates instant messaging, group chat, and content-sharing features, while also providing premium subscriptions and in-app purchases such as virtual gifts and sticker packs.

In addition to Momo, Hello Group's portfolio includes Tantan, a dating-focused social app designed to help users build meaningful relationships through profile matching and interest-driven swiping.

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