Short Interest in Village Farms International, Inc. (NASDAQ:VFF) Rises By 30.6%

Key Points

• Village Farms International, Inc. (NASDAQ:VFF) experienced a 30.6% increase in short interest in August, rising to 5,340,000 shares as of August 15th.
• The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS), beating analysts' estimates of ($0.02) for the recent quarter, with revenues of $59.90 million.
• Institutional investors have increased their stakes in Village Farms, with hedge funds owning 12.15% of the company's stock.

Village Farms International, Inc. (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 5,340,000 shares, a growth of 30.6% from the July 31st total of 4,090,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,600,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,600,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Lighthouse Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Village Farms International in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Stephens Inc. AR increased its position in shares of Village Farms International by 50.6% in the second quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 59,500 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 20,000 shares in the last quarter. Hilton Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Village Farms International during the 2nd quarter worth about $94,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Village Farms International during the 4th quarter worth about $146,000. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in Village Farms International by 625.6% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 193,000 shares of the company's stock worth $149,000 after purchasing an additional 166,400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 12.15% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Village Farms International from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 17th. Zacks Research raised Village Farms International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Zelman & Associates reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Village Farms International in a report on Monday, June 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Village Farms International Price Performance

NASDAQ:VFF traded up $0.14 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $2.64. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,117,906 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,793,728. The business's 50-day moving average is $2.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.28. The company has a market capitalization of $297.38 million, a PE ratio of 29.34 and a beta of 2.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a current ratio of 2.65. Village Farms International has a 52-week low of $0.45 and a 52-week high of $3.39.

Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 11th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $59.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $48.86 million. Village Farms International had a negative return on equity of 2.24% and a net margin of 3.42%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Village Farms International will post -0.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Village Farms International

Village Farms International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and sells greenhouse-grown tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers in North America. It operates through four segments: Produce, Cannabis-Canada, Cannabis-U.S., and Energy. The company also produces and supplies cannabis products to other licensed providers and provincial governments in Canada and internationally; develops and sells cannabinoid-based health and wellness products, including ingestible, edibles, and topical applications; and produces power.