Short Interest in Viking Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:VIK) Expands By 1,426.4%

Key Points

• Viking Holdings Ltd. saw a remarkable increase in short interest, rising by 1,426.4% in July, totaling 5,730,000 shares shorted.
• Large institutional investors own approximately 98.84% of Viking's stock, with Pittenger & Anderson and Private Trust Co. being among those that purchased new positions recently.
• The stock is currently trading down 2.0% at $57.57, with a market cap of $25.51 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.80.

Viking Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:VIK - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 5,730,000 shares, agrowthof1,426.4% from the June 30th total of 375,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,180,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.8 days. Currently,3.1% of the company's stock are short sold. Currently,3.1% of the company's stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 3,180,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.8 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Viking from $51.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Viking from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Viking from $45.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Viking from $57.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Viking and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $53.33.

Viking Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VIK traded down $1.15 on Friday, hitting $57.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,631,158 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,664,782. Viking has a 12-month low of $30.56 and a 12-month high of $59.97. The company has a market capitalization of $25.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 2.40. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $52.38 and a 200-day moving average of $47.16.

Viking (NYSE:VIK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 20th. The company reported ($0.24) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.02. Viking had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 128.44%. The company had revenue of $897.06 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $841.18 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($1.21) earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 24.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Viking will post 1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Viking

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Viking during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new position in Viking during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Viking during the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Harbour Investments Inc. increased its position in Viking by 37.2% during the first quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 1,277 shares of the company's stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 346 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in Viking by 92.0% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the company's stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 690 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.84% of the company's stock.

Viking Company Profile

Viking Holdings Ltd engages in the passenger shipping and other forms of passenger transport in North America, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through River and Ocean segments. The company also operates as a tour entrepreneur for passengers and related activities in tourism. As of December 31, 2023, it operated a fleet of 92 ships, including 81 river vessels comprising 58 Longships, 10 smaller classes based on the Longship design, 11 other river vessels, and 1 river vessel charter and the Viking Mississippi; 9 ocean ships; and 2 expedition ships.