J. Sainsbury PLC (OTCMKTS:JSAIY) Short Interest Up 32.5% in March

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 32.5% in March to 172,544 shares (from 130,267 on Feb. 26), yielding a short‑interest ratio of 2.7 days based on average daily volume; MarketBeat reports approximately 0.0% of shares are sold short.
• Shares traded at $17.87 on the latest session, below the 50‑day SMA of $18.58 and near the 200‑day SMA of $18.08, with a 52‑week range of $11.68–$19.90.
• Analyst sentiment has improved to a consensus of "Moderate Buy", with 1 Strong Buy, 1 Buy and 4 Hold ratings and several recent upgrades from firms including Citigroup and Deutsche Bank.

J. Sainsbury PLC (OTCMKTS:JSAIY - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 172,544 shares, an increase of 32.5% from the February 26th total of 130,267 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 64,267 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.7 days.

J. Sainsbury Price Performance

Shares of JSAIY traded down $0.25 on Friday, reaching $17.87. 35,850 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 47,306. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $18.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $18.08. J. Sainsbury has a 52-week low of $11.68 and a 52-week high of $19.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.62.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on JSAIY shares. Citigroup upgraded shares of J. Sainsbury to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of J. Sainsbury in a report on Sunday, December 14th. Zacks Research raised J. Sainsbury from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Kepler Capital Markets raised J. Sainsbury from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded J. Sainsbury to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

J. Sainsbury Company Profile

J. Sainsbury PLC, trading in the United States under the ticker OTCMKTS:JSAIY, is one of the United Kingdom's leading grocery retailers. Through its primary Sainsbury's supermarket banner and smaller convenience formats under the Sainsbury's Local name, the company offers a wide range of food and household products. In addition to its core retail operations, Sainsbury's extends into general merchandise and clothing under the TU brand, serving both in-store and through its established e-commerce platform.

Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann, Sainsbury's has grown from a single dairy shop in London's Drury Lane to a nationwide retail network.

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