NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest in NetEase dropped by 20.5% in August, with total shares sold short declining from 2,680,000 to 2,130,000, representing about 0.3% of the company's stock. The current short-interest ratio stands at 2.8 days based on an average daily volume of 768,000 shares.
• NetEase announced a quarterly dividend of $0.675 per share, which reflects an annualized figure of $2.70 and a dividend yield of 1.8%, with the payout ratio currently at 30.72%.
• Several analysts have revised their ratings for NetEase, with Wall Street Zen upgrading it to a "strong-buy" while other firms set target prices ranging from $120.00 to $161.00, indicating a generally positive outlook on the stock.

NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES - Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,130,000 shares, a drop of 20.5% from the August 15th total of 2,680,000 shares. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 768,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.8 days. Based on an average trading volume of 768,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.8 days. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NetEase

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of NetEase by 47.6% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 17,437 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $2,304,000 after acquiring an additional 5,621 shares during the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of NetEase by 107.1% during the second quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 26,100 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $3,513,000 after acquiring an additional 13,500 shares during the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of NetEase by 24.0% during the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 11,639 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $1,566,000 after acquiring an additional 2,251 shares during the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of NetEase during the second quarter valued at $509,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of NetEase during the second quarter valued at $399,000. Institutional investors own 11.07% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $161.00 price target on shares of NetEase and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Arete upgraded shares of NetEase from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Barclays set a $120.00 price target on shares of NetEase and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of NetEase from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $135.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of NetEase from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $132.00.

NetEase Trading Up 0.2%

NetEase stock traded up $0.30 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $152.35. The company had a trading volume of 605,510 shares, compared to its average volume of 695,513. NetEase has a fifty-two week low of $75.88 and a fifty-two week high of $159.55. The company has a market cap of $96.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.67. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $136.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $121.74.

NetEase Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 28th were paid a dividend of $0.675 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 28th. This represents a $2.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. NetEase's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.72%.

About NetEase

NetEase, Inc engages in online games, music streaming, online intelligent learning services, and internet content services businesses in China and internationally . The company operates through Games and Related Value-Added Services, Youdao, Cloud Music, and Innovative Businesses and Others segments.