Short Interest in Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MFG) Declines By 31.4%

Key Points

• Mizuho Financial Group saw a significant decrease in short interest of 31.4%, with 3,080,000 shares short as of August 31, compared to 4,490,000 shares on August 15.
• Institutional investors increased their stakes, with Millennium Management raising its position by 129.2% and other firms like Allianz SE and Cerity Partners also acquiring new positions.
• Wall Street analysts have a mixed view on Mizuho, with Zacks Research downgrading the stock from "strong-buy" to "hold," while the average rating remains a "hold."

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MFG - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,080,000 shares, a decrease of 31.4% from the August 15th total of 4,490,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,800,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.1 days. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 2,800,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.1 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MFG shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Mizuho Financial Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Mizuho Financial Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold".

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mizuho Financial Group

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its stake in shares of Mizuho Financial Group by 166.3% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 5,499 shares of the bank's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 3,434 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in Mizuho Financial Group by 81.8% during the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 6,611 shares of the bank's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 2,975 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Mizuho Financial Group in the first quarter valued at $42,000. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mizuho Financial Group in the first quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, BIP Alliance LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mizuho Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at $51,000. 3.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mizuho Financial Group Stock Performance

NYSE MFG traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $6.63. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,156,086 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,093,091. Mizuho Financial Group has a 12 month low of $3.97 and a 12 month high of $6.79. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $6.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.65. The company has a market cap of $83.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.96.

Mizuho Financial Group (NYSE:MFG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The bank reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.15. Mizuho Financial Group had a return on equity of 8.48% and a net margin of 10.16%.The business had revenue of $5.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.42 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Mizuho Financial Group will post 0.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mizuho Financial Group Company Profile

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in banking, trust, securities, and other businesses related to financial services in Japan, the Americas, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through Retail & Business Banking Company, Corporate & Institutional Company, Global Corporate Company, Global Markets Company, Asset Management Company, and Others segments.