Short Interest in Woori Bank (NYSE:WF) Rises By 33.5%

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 33.5% in April to 130,740 shares as of April 15, representing about 0.1% of shares outstanding and a days-to-cover ratio of 0.9.
• Woori Bank posted an EPS miss (Q: $1.59 vs. $2.60 expected) and revenue of $1.88B vs. $1.99B expected, yet the stock's consensus remains a "Moderate Buy" after recent downgrades to Hold from some analysts.
• Institutional activity increased—most notably Morgan Stanley boosted its stake to 1,399,904 shares (~$82.3M)—but overall institutional ownership remains modest at 3.41%.

Woori Bank (NYSE:WF - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 130,740 shares, an increase of 33.5% from the March 31st total of 97,955 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 140,897 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.9 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WF has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research cut shares of Woori Bank from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Woori Bank from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Woori Bank presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woori Bank

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Laird Norton Wetherby Trust Company LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Woori Bank in the fourth quarter valued at $5,521,000. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Woori Bank during the fourth quarter worth about $3,954,000. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in shares of Woori Bank by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,399,904 shares of the bank's stock valued at $82,300,000 after purchasing an additional 61,178 shares during the period. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in shares of Woori Bank in the third quarter valued at approximately $2,997,000. Finally, B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG grew its holdings in shares of Woori Bank by 100.1% in the fourth quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG now owns 89,881 shares of the bank's stock valued at $5,284,000 after purchasing an additional 44,974 shares in the last quarter. 3.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Woori Bank Stock Performance

Shares of Woori Bank stock opened at $67.85 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $16.60 billion, a PE ratio of 7.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. Woori Bank has a 52 week low of $35.86 and a 52 week high of $84.71. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $70.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.84.

Woori Bank (NYSE:WF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The bank reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.60 by ($1.01). The business had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.99 billion. Woori Bank had a return on equity of 8.64% and a net margin of 13.34%. Equities analysts forecast that Woori Bank will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current year.

About Woori Bank

Woori Bank Co, Ltd. NYSE: WF is a South Korean commercial bank and the principal banking unit of Woori Financial Group. Established in 2001 through the merger of Hanvit Bank and Peace Bank, the institution traces its roots to earlier banking entities that date back to the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. Headquartered in Seoul, Woori Bank operates under a universal banking model, serving both individual customers and corporate clients with a comprehensive suite of financial products and services.

The bank's core operations encompass retail banking, corporate and investment banking, treasury services, and wealth management.

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.