Swedbank AB (OTCMKTS:SWDBY) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Key Points

• Swedbank AB experienced a significant increase in short interest, rising by 53.5% in August, with a total of 19,500 shares shorted by mid-month.
• The company's recent earnings report indicated earnings per share of SEK 0.72 and a net margin of 25.22%, with analysts projecting an annual EPS of 2.34.
• Swedbank's stock has faced mixed ratings, with UBS Group downgraded shares from a "strong-buy" to a "hold," while the average rating is currently considered "Reduce."

Swedbank AB (OTCMKTS:SWDBY - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 19,500 shares, an increase of 53.5% from the July 31st total of 12,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 35,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.6 days. Based on an average daily volume of 35,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.6 days.

Swedbank Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS SWDBY traded up SEK 0.23 during trading on Friday, reaching SEK 29.50. The company had a trading volume of 17,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,611. Swedbank has a 52 week low of SEK 18.71 and a 52 week high of SEK 29.51. The stock has a market cap of $33.20 billion, a PE ratio of 10.17 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.89, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 1.47. The business's 50 day moving average price is SEK 27.60 and its 200-day moving average price is SEK 25.85.

Swedbank (OTCMKTS:SWDBY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported SEK 0.72 EPS for the quarter. Swedbank had a net margin of 25.22% and a return on equity of 16.12%. The company had revenue of SEK 1.76 billion during the quarter. Analysts expect that Swedbank will post 2.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on SWDBY. UBS Group cut shares of Swedbank from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of Swedbank in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Swedbank currently has an average rating of "Reduce".

About Swedbank

Swedbank AB (publ) provides various banking products and services to private and corporate customers in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the United States, Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg, and China. The company operates through three business areas: Swedish Banking, Baltic Banking, and Corporates and Institutions.