Village Farms International, Inc. (NASDAQ:VFF) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

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, agrowthof30.6% 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.

Village Farms International Price Performance

VFF stock opened at $2.55 on Tuesday. Village Farms International has a 1 year low of $0.45 and a 1 year high of $3.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a current ratio of 2.65. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $1.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $1.23. The firm has a market cap of $287.23 million, a P/E ratio of 28.34 and a beta of 2.30.

Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.02) by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $59.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.86 million. Village Farms International had a negative return on equity of 2.24% and a net margin of 3.42%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Village Farms International will post -0.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Village Farms International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Lighthouse Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Village Farms International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Stephens Inc. AR lifted its stake in shares of Village Farms International by 50.6% during 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 during the period. Hilton Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Village Farms International during the second quarter valued at approximately $94,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Village Farms International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $146,000. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its stake in shares of Village Farms International by 625.6% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 193,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $149,000 after buying an additional 166,400 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 12.15% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Zelman & Associates reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Village Farms International in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Village Farms International from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, August 17th. Zacks Research upgraded Village Farms International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Alliance Global Partners reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Village Farms International in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Buy".

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.

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