KB Financial Group Inc (NYSE:KB) Sees Significant Decline in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest fell 23.2% to 416,465 shares as of March 31 (down from 541,955 on March 15), implying a short-interest ratio of about 1.6 days and roughly 0.4% of the stock shorted.
• KB shares were trading near $109.56 with a market capitalization of $40.85 billion and a P/E of 10.27; the bank reported $1.43 EPS for the most recent quarter, with a net margin of 17.16% and analysts projecting about 8.87 EPS for the fiscal year.
• Analyst and institutional sentiment is mixed: the average MarketBeat rating is a Moderate Buy after recent upgrades and downgrades, while large managers like M&T, Invesco and others have materially increased or initiated positions (institutions own ~11.52% of shares).

KB Financial Group Inc (NYSE:KB - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 416,465 shares, a decline of 23.2% from the March 15th total of 541,955 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 268,059 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.6 days. Approximately 0.4% of the company's stock are short sold.

KB Financial Group Price Performance

KB opened at $109.56 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $105.50 and a 200-day moving average of $92.85. The company has a market capitalization of $40.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.27, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.04. KB Financial Group has a 1-year low of $53.74 and a 1-year high of $119.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.48, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 1.64.

KB Financial Group (NYSE:KB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The bank reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter. KB Financial Group had a net margin of 17.16% and a return on equity of 9.67%. Equities analysts expect that KB Financial Group will post 8.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on KB shares. Zacks Research raised shares of KB Financial Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of KB Financial Group in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of KB Financial Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KB Financial Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KB. M&T Bank Corp bought a new stake in shares of KB Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth about $36,964,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of KB Financial Group by 508.9% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 152,939 shares of the bank's stock valued at $12,631,000 after buying an additional 127,823 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of KB Financial Group by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 836,990 shares of the bank's stock valued at $69,395,000 after buying an additional 85,822 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its position in shares of KB Financial Group by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 757,168 shares of the bank's stock valued at $62,735,000 after buying an additional 85,231 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Laird Norton Wetherby Trust Company LLC bought a new stake in shares of KB Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,640,000. Institutional investors own 11.52% of the company's stock.

KB Financial Group Company Profile

KB Financial Group Inc is a South Korea-based financial holding company that offers a broad range of banking and financial services. Headquartered in Seoul and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker KB, the group operates through a set of specialized subsidiaries to provide integrated financial solutions for retail, corporate and institutional clients.

The company's principal businesses include retail and corporate banking, securities and investment banking, insurance (life and non-life), asset management, credit card and consumer finance, and leasing.

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