Short Interest in International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (OTCMKTS:ICAGY) Drops By 49.4%

Key Points

• Short interest plunged 49.4%, falling from 31,098 to 15,748 shares as of Feb. 27, leaving a very low short-interest ratio of 0.2 days and approximately 0.0% of shares sold short.
• Analyst sentiment has improved with upgrades from Barclays and Zacks, leaving the consensus rating at a “Moderate Buy” (1 Strong Buy, 4 Buy, 1 Sell).
• ICAGY reported an EPS beat ($0.82 vs. $0.33 est.) but missed revenue ($9.29B vs. $9.64B), and the stock traded down about 3.9% to $9.70 (market cap ~$22.1B, PE 2.46).

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (OTCMKTS:ICAGY - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 15,748 shares, a decrease of 49.4% from the February 12th total of 31,098 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 99,034 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 99,034 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays raised International Consolidated Airlines Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

International Consolidated Airlines Group Trading Down 3.9%

Shares of ICAGY stock traded down $0.39 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $9.70. 53,961 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 94,508. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.14 billion, a PE ratio of 2.46, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.58. International Consolidated Airlines Group has a 1-year low of $5.60 and a 1-year high of $12.36. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $11.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.80.

International Consolidated Airlines Group (OTCMKTS:ICAGY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 27th. The transportation company reported $0.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $9.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.64 billion. International Consolidated Airlines Group had a net margin of 10.21% and a return on equity of 167.88%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that International Consolidated Airlines Group will post 1.07 EPS for the current year.

About International Consolidated Airlines Group

International Consolidated Airlines Group OTCMKTS: ICAGY is a Europe-focused airline holding company formed in 2011 through the combination of British Airways and Iberia. The group owns and operates a portfolio of passenger carriers that provide short-haul, long-haul and low-cost services, together with associated aviation businesses. Its operations span international and domestic markets, with extensive networks across Europe, transatlantic routes and links to Latin America and other global destinations.

IAG's principal airline brands include British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.