KBC Group SA (OTCMKTS:KBCSY) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• KBC Group SA's short interest surged by 151.4% in August, increasing from 3,700 to 9,300 shares, indicating heightened bearish sentiment among investors.
• Analysts have mixed views on KBC Group; Barclays downgraded its rating to "hold," while Morgan Stanley maintained an "overweight" rating, leading to a consensus rating of "Hold."
• The company's quarterly earnings exceeded expectations, with an EPS of $1.42, surpassing the consensus estimate by $0.02, showcasing solid financial performance.

KBC Group SA (OTCMKTS:KBCSY - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 9,300 shares, an increase of 151.4% from the August 15th total of 3,700 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 60,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 60,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold.

KBC Group Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of KBC Group stock traded down $0.53 on Thursday, hitting $58.78. 64,321 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,315. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $56.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $50.65. The company has a market cap of $49.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.85. KBC Group has a 12-month low of $35.43 and a 12-month high of $61.62.

KBC Group (OTCMKTS:KBCSY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.02. KBC Group had a net margin of 15.04% and a return on equity of 14.18%. Analysts predict that KBC Group will post 4.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of KBC Group in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of KBC Group in a report on Friday, August 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of KBC Group in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Barclays downgraded shares of KBC Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold".

About KBC Group

KBC Group NV, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated bank-insurance services primarily for retail, private banking, small and medium sized enterprises, and mid-cap clients. The company offers demand deposits and savings accounts; home and mortgage loans; consumer finance and SME funding services; credit, investment fund and asset management, and life and non-life insurance; and cash management, payments, trade finance, lease, money market, capital market products, and stockbroking services.