Alimera Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALIM) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Alimera Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALIM - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 108,800 shares, an increase of 26.8% from the March 15th total of 85,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 81,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.3 days.

Alimera Sciences Trading Down 8.6 %

Shares of ALIM stock traded down $0.33 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $3.52. 56,087 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 96,963. The stock has a market cap of $184.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.63 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 2.31, a current ratio of 2.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. Alimera Sciences has a fifty-two week low of $1.56 and a fifty-two week high of $4.38. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3.60.

Alimera Sciences (NASDAQ:ALIM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.02 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $26.31 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.10 million. Alimera Sciences had a negative net margin of 24.93% and a negative return on equity of 130.90%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.54) EPS. Equities analysts expect that Alimera Sciences will post 0.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on ALIM. Maxim Group began coverage on shares of Alimera Sciences in a research report on Monday, March 25th. They set a "buy" rating and a $10.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com cut shares of Alimera Sciences from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alimera Sciences

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALIM. Stonepine Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Alimera Sciences by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Stonepine Capital Management LLC now owns 3,999,459 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $17,278,000 after acquiring an additional 15,773 shares during the last quarter. AIGH Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alimera Sciences in the third quarter worth approximately $7,355,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Alimera Sciences by 342.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 648,954 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $2,803,000 after purchasing an additional 502,268 shares during the period. Worth Venture Partners LLC purchased a new position in Alimera Sciences during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,840,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in Alimera Sciences by 27.9% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 129,716 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $379,000 after buying an additional 28,322 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.83% of the company's stock.

Alimera Sciences Company Profile

Alimera Sciences, Inc, a pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes prescription ophthalmic retinal pharmaceuticals. It operates through United States, International, and Operating Cost segments. The company offers ILUVIEN, a fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), which is a disease of the retina that affects individuals with diabetes and can lead to severe vision loss and blindness; and to prevent relapse in recurrent non-infectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment of the eye (NIU-PS).