Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) Shares Shorted: Short Interest Down 40.8% in October

Key Points

• Short interest fell 40.8% to 58,181 shares as of October 15, down from 98,198 shares at the end of September. The stock’s days-to-cover ratio is 0.4, with roughly 0.0% of shares sold short.
• Japan Tob shares traded at $22.94, near the upper end of their 52-week range of $16.74 to $24.54. The company has a market capitalization of $81.45 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.74.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.33 and revenue of $6.37 billion, both slightly below analyst estimates. Analyst sentiment is “Moderate Buy,” although the average price target of $17.00 is below the current share price.

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totaling 58,181 shares, a decline of 40.8% from the September 30th total of 98,198 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 132,910 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days. Approximately 0.0% of the company's shares are sold short.

Japan Tob Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of JAPAY traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $22.94. 48,203 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 114,516. Japan Tob has a 52 week low of $16.74 and a 52 week high of $24.54. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $22.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $19.97. The company has a market cap of $81.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.74, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.28.

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $6.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.45 billion. On average, equities analysts forecast that Japan Tob will post 1.16 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on JAPAY shares. BTIG Research started coverage on Japan Tob in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded Japan Tob from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Japan Tob has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $17.00.

About Japan Tob

Japan Tobacco Inc is a Japan-based company engaged primarily in the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Its portfolio includes cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other reduced-risk products, marketed under brands such as Winston, Camel, Mevius and LD in various markets.

The company also operates businesses in pharmaceutical products and processed foods. Its pharmaceutical operations focus on prescription medicines, while its food business provides products including frozen foods, seasonings and other processed food items.

Japan Tobacco traces its history to Japan's former tobacco monopoly and was established in its current corporate form in 1985.

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