Short Interest in Qudian Inc. - Sponsored ADR (NYSE:QD) Expands By 39.6%

Key Points

• Qudian Inc. experienced a significant increase in short interest, rising 39.6% to a total of 386,300 shares as of July 31st.
• Institutional investors have been actively buying, with notable increases from Asset Management One and Two Sigma Investments, enhancing their stakes by 32.4% and 28.5%, respectively.
• Despite the positive institutional interest, Qudian's stock is down 2.7% and currently trades around $4.89, with a recent $0.26 EPS reported for the quarter.

Qudian Inc. - Sponsored ADR (NYSE:QD - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totaling 386,300 shares, anincreaseof39.6% from the July 15th total of 276,700 shares. Approximately0.3% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 463,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 463,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.8 days. Approximately0.3% of the company's shares are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qudian

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Oasis Management Co Ltd. lifted its holdings in Qudian by 609.9% during the 4th quarter. Oasis Management Co Ltd. now owns 197,875 shares of the company's stock valued at $558,000 after purchasing an additional 170,000 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new stake in Qudian during the fourth quarter worth $442,000. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of Qudian by 44.5% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 274,308 shares of the company's stock valued at $774,000 after acquiring an additional 84,532 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in Qudian by 28.5% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 302,316 shares of the company's stock worth $853,000 after buying an additional 67,014 shares in the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Qudian in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $128,000. 8.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on QD. UBS Group upgraded Qudian to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Qudian from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Qudian presently has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Qudian Trading Down 3.1%

QD stock traded down $0.1450 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $4.5750. The company had a trading volume of 526,556 shares, compared to its average volume of 732,623. The company has a 50 day moving average of $3.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.07. Qudian has a 1 year low of $1.72 and a 1 year high of $5.08. The company has a market capitalization of $771.76 million, a P/E ratio of 10.64 and a beta of 0.69.

Qudian (NYSE:QD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter. Qudian had a net margin of 388.27% and a return on equity of 4.65%. The company had revenue of $0.49 million for the quarter.

About Qudian

Qudian Inc operates as a consumer-oriented technology company in the People's Republic of China. The company engages in the operation of online platforms to provide small consumer credit products. It also provides technology development and services; research and development services; and delivery services.