Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest surged 31.2% in March to 7,135,207 shares (about 2.4% of shares), producing a short‑interest ratio of 3.5 days based on average daily volume.
• Shares climbed to $206.32 (near the 12‑month high) after the company beat quarterly expectations with $3.49 EPS and revenue up 13.2% y/y, and Simon set FY2026 guidance of 13.00–13.25 EPS.
• Simon pays a quarterly dividend of $2.20 (annualized $8.80, ~4.3% yield) and its board authorized a $2.0 billion share repurchase program (about 3.1% of shares outstanding).

Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 7,135,207 shares, an increase of 31.2% from the March 15th total of 5,439,607 shares. Approximately 2.4% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,045,768 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Simon Property Group Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of NYSE SPG traded up $4.97 during trading on Friday, reaching $206.32. 1,344,613 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,670,118. The business's 50-day moving average price is $194.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $186.97. Simon Property Group has a twelve month low of $145.84 and a twelve month high of $206.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.42. The company has a market capitalization of $67.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.63 and a beta of 1.37.

Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The real estate investment trust reported $3.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.47 by $0.02. Simon Property Group had a net margin of 72.71% and a return on equity of 124.12%. The business had revenue of $1.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.68 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 13.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Simon Property Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Simon Property Group will post 12.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Simon Property Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were given a dividend of $2.20 per share. This represents a $8.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 10th. Simon Property Group's payout ratio is presently 62.06%.

Simon Property Group announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the real estate investment trust to buy up to 3.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Simon Property Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Stance Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Simon Property Group in the third quarter worth $26,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Simon Property Group in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Simon Property Group in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its stake in shares of Simon Property Group by 143.0% in the third quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 209 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in shares of Simon Property Group in the third quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors own 93.01% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on SPG. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Simon Property Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Simon Property Group from $184.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley set a $205.00 price target on shares of Simon Property Group in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Simon Property Group from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Simon Property Group from $185.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Simon Property Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.14.

About Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc NYSE: SPG is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, develops and manages retail real estate properties. Its core business activities include acquisition, development, leasing and property management of regional malls, outlet centers and mixed‑use retail destinations. The company operates retail brands that include high‑profile regional shopping centers and the Premium Outlets platform, and it provides services such as tenant leasing, marketing, property operations and capital projects to optimize asset performance.

Simon's portfolio spans a broad mix of enclosed malls, open‑air centers, outlet properties and mixed‑use developments, and the company pursues redevelopment and repositioning to adapt properties to changing consumer and retail trends.

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