Stora Enso Oyj (OTCMKTS:SEOAY) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest surged 239.9% in March to 64,159 shares (days-to-cover ~1.0), indicating a notable increase in bearish positioning on SEOAY.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with an average rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $10.80; one analyst rates it Buy, three Hold and two Sell, while Citigroup and Goldman Sachs offer opposing views.
• Stora Enso missed quarterly EPS estimates (reported -$0.03 vs. $0.04 expected) but beat revenue expectations ($2.66B vs. $2.26B), and the stock trades near $11.81 with a market cap of $9.31 billion and a P/E of 11.69.

Stora Enso Oyj (OTCMKTS:SEOAY - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 64,159 shares, an increase of 239.9% from the February 26th total of 18,878 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 64,397 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days. Based on an average trading volume of 64,397 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days. Approximately 0.0% of the company's stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SEOAY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Stora Enso Oyj in a research report on Monday, January 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Stora Enso Oyj to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $10.80.

Stora Enso Oyj Stock Performance

Shares of SEOAY traded up $0.33 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $11.81. The company had a trading volume of 996 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,057. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.69 and a beta of 0.66. Stora Enso Oyj has a 52-week low of $7.97 and a 52-week high of $14.41. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $12.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Stora Enso Oyj (OTCMKTS:SEOAY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The basic materials company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.04 by ($0.07). Stora Enso Oyj had a net margin of 7.58% and a return on equity of 3.18%. The company had revenue of $2.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.26 billion. On average, analysts expect that Stora Enso Oyj will post 0.67 earnings per share for the current year.

About Stora Enso Oyj

Stora Enso Oyj is a Finland‐based provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper. The company draws on centuries of forest industry experience and leverages sustainable practices to produce a wide array of products, including paperboard for consumer goods, specialty papers for printing and publishing, and pulp for industrial applications. Its portfolio also encompasses wood products such as cross-laminated timber, sawn timber and building components, designed to meet growing demand for environmentally friendly construction materials.

Formed through the 1998 merger of Swedish mining and forestry giant Stora and Finnish paper maker Enso, Stora Enso combines deep heritage with ongoing investments in innovation.

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