Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LTH) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 45.6% to 11,371,231 shares as of March 31, representing about 5.9% of shares outstanding and a short-interest ratio of 2.5 days.
• Sell-side sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $40.13, following multiple upgrades and target hikes from firms like Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and KeyCorp.
• Insiders sold a total of 31,850 shares (~$909,324) over the last three months, while insiders still own 13.3% and institutional investors own 79.4%, with major increases by T. Rowe Price and Invesco.

Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LTH - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 11,371,231 shares, an increase of 45.6% from the March 15th total of 7,810,521 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 4,618,999 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.5 days. Approximately 5.9% of the company's shares are short sold.

Life Time Group Stock Down 0.1%

Life Time Group stock traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $27.73. 626,641 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,843,216. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Life Time Group has a twelve month low of $24.14 and a twelve month high of $34.99. The company has a market cap of $6.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a fifty day moving average of $27.38 and a 200-day moving average of $26.92.

Life Time Group (NYSE:LTH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.01. Life Time Group had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The company had revenue of $745.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $740.09 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.27 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Life Time Group will post 0.74 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Life Time Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Life Time Group from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Life Time Group in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $37.00 target price on the stock. KeyCorp assumed coverage on shares of Life Time Group in a report on Thursday, March 12th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Northland Securities set a $42.00 target price on shares of Life Time Group in a report on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $40.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Life Time Group

In other Life Time Group news, EVP Parham Javaheri sold 11,060 shares of Life Time Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.46, for a total transaction of $292,647.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 315,175 shares in the company, valued at $8,339,530.50. This trade represents a 3.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Ritadhwaja Jebens Singh sold 5,880 shares of Life Time Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.31, for a total transaction of $178,222.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 102,144 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,095,984.64. This represents a 5.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 31,850 shares of company stock worth $909,324 over the last three months. Insiders own 13.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Diversified Trust Co grew its holdings in Life Time Group by 12.4% during the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 29,212 shares of the company's stock worth $787,000 after acquiring an additional 3,233 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in Life Time Group by 2,885.7% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 14,779 shares of the company's stock worth $393,000 after acquiring an additional 14,284 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors acquired a new position in Life Time Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $224,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Life Time Group by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,176,506 shares of the company's stock worth $84,432,000 after acquiring an additional 151,510 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Life Time Group by 138.1% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,333,283 shares of the company's stock worth $62,019,000 after acquiring an additional 1,353,304 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.40% of the company's stock.

About Life Time Group

Life Time Group NYSE: LTH is a premier operator of health, fitness and lifestyle centers across North America. The company's core business encompasses the development, ownership and management of premium athletic resorts that integrate state-of-the-art fitness facilities, group exercise studios, indoor and outdoor pools, running tracks, and spa and salon services. In addition to its brick-and-mortar clubs, Life Time offers a digital platform featuring on-demand and live-streamed workouts, personalized training programs and nutrition guidance, enabling members to pursue their wellness goals both at home and on the go.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota, Life Time has grown from a single Minnesota health club into a network of more than 160 locations across the United States and Canada.

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