Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS) Short Interest Up 30.2% in August

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 target of a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 54,820,000 shares, a growth of 30.2% from the July 31st total of 42,090,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 10,280,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.3 days. Based on an average daily volume of 10,280,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.3 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on KOS. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Kosmos Energy from $3.50 to $3.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Benchmark reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research report on Thursday, June 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kosmos Energy presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $4.93.

Kosmos Energy Price Performance

KOS stock traded down $0.07 during trading on Friday, reaching $1.67. 7,171,249 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,513,489. The company has a market cap of $796.29 million, a P/E ratio of -5.05 and a beta of 1.57. Kosmos Energy has a 52-week low of $1.39 and a 52-week high of $4.69. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $1.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $1.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.45.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kosmos Energy

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Foster Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kosmos Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Blueshift Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kosmos Energy in the second quarter worth $27,000. Verum Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Kosmos Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Vident Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Kosmos Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft bought a new position in Kosmos Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.33% of the company's stock.

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.