Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) Short Interest Up 169.2% in July

Key Points

• Short interest surged 169.2% in Japan Tob, reaching 34,955 shares as of July 15 from 12,986 shares at the end of June. Despite the increase, short interest represents approximately 0.0% of shares outstanding, with a short-interest ratio of 0.2 days.
• JAPAY shares traded at $19.94, near their 52-week high of $20.68, while the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.35 and revenue of $5.91 billion—both above analyst expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: the stock has an average “Hold” rating and a $17.00 target price, although BTIG Research initiated coverage with a “Buy” rating.

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 34,955 shares, an increase of 169.2% from the June 30th total of 12,986 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 149,346 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.0% of the company's stock are short sold.

Japan Tob Stock Performance

OTCMKTS:JAPAY traded up $0.20 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $19.94. 25,419 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 149,063. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.94 and a beta of 0.29. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $19.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $18.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Japan Tob has a 52 week low of $14.20 and a 52 week high of $20.68.

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Japan Tob will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JAPAY has been the topic of several analyst reports. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Japan Tob in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Japan Tob from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $17.00.

About Japan Tob

Japan Tobacco Inc OTC: JAPAY is a Tokyo-based multinational company primarily engaged in the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. The company's core activities include the development, production and distribution of cigarettes and other nicotine-delivery products for domestic and international markets. Japan Tobacco also pursues business activities beyond tobacco, including pharmaceutical and processed‑food operations through subsidiary units and strategic investments.

In its tobacco operations the company serves both the Japanese market and a broad international footprint through its global operating arm, Japan Tobacco International (JTI).

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