Short Interest in Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS) Rises By 30.2%

Key Points

• Kosmos Energy Ltd. saw a significant increase in short interest by 30.2% in August, bringing the total to 54.82 million shares with a short-interest ratio of 5.3 days based on average trading volume.
• Several analysts have revised their ratings and price targets for the stock, with Goldman Sachs cutting their target from $3.50 to $3.00 while maintaining a "buy" rating, and the overall consensus rating being a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $4.93.
• Institutional investors have notably increased their positions in Kosmos Energy, with Squarepoint Ops LLC boosting its holdings by 333% during the second quarter, indicating strong interest from major investors.

Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 54,820,000 shares, anincreaseof30.2% from the July 31st total of 42,090,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 10,280,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.3 days. Based on an average daily volume of 10,280,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.3 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Mizuho reduced their price target on Kosmos Energy from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Benchmark restated a "hold" rating on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research note on Thursday, June 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kosmos Energy to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Kosmos Energy from $3.50 to $3.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kosmos Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $4.93.

Institutional Trading of Kosmos Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its position in Kosmos Energy by 18.8% during the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 57,782 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $99,000 after acquiring an additional 9,159 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its holdings in Kosmos Energy by 333.0% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 3,221,011 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $5,540,000 after purchasing an additional 2,477,102 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP raised its stake in Kosmos Energy by 16.9% during the second quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 948,065 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $1,631,000 after buying an additional 137,179 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Kosmos Energy by 145.4% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 50,623 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $87,000 after buying an additional 29,991 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voleon Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Kosmos Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $62,000. 95.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kosmos Energy Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE:KOS traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $1.64. The company had a trading volume of 5,504,104 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,034,260. The company has a market cap of $781.94 million, a P/E ratio of -4.95 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.56. Kosmos Energy has a 1 year low of $1.39 and a 1 year high of $4.69. The company has a 50-day moving average of $1.92 and a 200 day moving average of $1.95.

Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The oil and gas producer reported ($0.19) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.13). Kosmos Energy had a negative return on equity of 14.16% and a negative net margin of 10.74%.The business had revenue of $393.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $444.26 million. Sell-side analysts expect that Kosmos Energy will post 0.42 earnings per share for the current year.

About Kosmos Energy

Kosmos Energy Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas along the Atlantic Margins in the United States. The company's primary assets include production projects located in offshore Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, as well as gas projects located in offshore Mauritania and Senegal.

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