Qudian (NYSE:QD) Trading Up 9.6% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Qudian Inc. shares rose by 9.6% to last trade at $4.65, despite a significant decline in trading volume of 76% compared to their average.
• Analyst ratings for Qudian have improved, with UBS Group upgrading the stock to a "buy" and Wall Street Zen lifting it from a "sell" to a "hold" rating.
• The company reported earnings of $0.26 per share for the last quarter, with a high net margin of 388.27% and a market capitalization of approximately $790.31 million.

Qudian Inc. - Sponsored ADR (NYSE:QD - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 9.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $4.53 and last traded at $4.65. Approximately 109,092 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average daily volume of 447,562 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.24.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on QD shares. Wall Street Zen raised Qudian from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 6th. UBS Group raised Qudian to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Qudian presently has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Qudian Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $3.47 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $825.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.38 and a beta of 0.69.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qudian

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its position in Qudian by 28.5% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 302,316 shares of the company's stock valued at $853,000 after purchasing an additional 67,014 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of Qudian by 44.5% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 274,308 shares of the company's stock worth $774,000 after purchasing an additional 84,532 shares during the period. Oasis Management Co Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Qudian by 609.9% during the fourth quarter. Oasis Management Co Ltd. now owns 197,875 shares of the company's stock worth $558,000 after purchasing an additional 170,000 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Qudian by 2.3% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 166,372 shares of the company's stock worth $448,000 after purchasing an additional 3,793 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new position in Qudian in the fourth quarter valued at about $442,000. Institutional investors own 8.10% of the company's stock.

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.