Komatsu Ltd. (OTCMKTS:KMTUY) Short Interest Up 81.3% in September

Key Points

• Short interest in Komatsu Ltd. surged by 81.3% in September, climbing from 19,300 shares to 35,000 shares, indicating a potential negative outlook among investors.
• Zacks Research downgraded the company's stock from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating, contributing to a consensus rating of "Reduce" among analysts.
• Komatsu's most recent quarterly earnings report revealed an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.69, missing expectations, along with a revenue of $6.12 billion, below analyst estimates of $6.49 billion.

Komatsu Ltd. (OTCMKTS:KMTUY - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totaling 35,000 shares, an increase of 81.3% from the August 31st total of 19,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 81,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days. Based on an average daily volume of 81,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Zacks Research cut Komatsu from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce".

Komatsu Stock Performance

KMTUY traded up $0.46 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $35.39. 152,937 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 284,916. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $34.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.04 and a beta of 0.99. Komatsu has a 1-year low of $24.75 and a 1-year high of $37.27. The company has a current ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Komatsu (OTCMKTS:KMTUY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.74 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $6.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.49 billion. Komatsu had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 13.05%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Komatsu will post 2.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Komatsu Company Profile

Komatsu Ltd. manufactures and sells construction, mining, and utility equipment in Japan, the Americas, Europe, China, Rest of Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, Africa, and CIS countries. It operates through three segments: Construction, Mining and Utility Equipment; Retail Finance; and Industrial Machinery and Others.

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