Weibo Corporation (NASDAQ:WB) Short Interest Up 175.9% in July

Key Points

• Weibo Corporation experienced a significant increase in short interest, rising by 175.9% in July, with total short interest reaching 15,670,000 shares.
• Institutional investors hold 68.77% of Weibo's stock, with notable positions increased by firms like Krane Funds Advisors and Vanguard Group.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Hold" for Weibo, with a target price set at $9.75, after a mix of buy, hold, and sell ratings.

Weibo Corporation (NASDAQ:WB - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 15,670,000 shares, agrowthof175.9% from the June 30th total of 5,680,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,040,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 15.1 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,040,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 15.1 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Weibo

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Shell Asset Management Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Weibo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $54,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its holdings in Weibo by 22.4% in the 1st quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 11,653 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $110,000 after purchasing an additional 2,135 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Weibo during the first quarter worth approximately $117,000. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado bought a new position in shares of Weibo in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $133,000. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in shares of Weibo during the second quarter worth $136,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.77% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Weibo from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Weibo currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $9.75.

Weibo Stock Down 0.3%

Weibo stock traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $9.73. 283,034 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,350,400. Weibo has a 12 month low of $7.03 and a 12 month high of $12.40. The company has a market cap of $2.36 billion, a PE ratio of 7.05 and a beta of 0.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 2.72 and a current ratio of 2.72. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $9.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $9.54.

Weibo (NASDAQ:WB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The information services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $396.86 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $394.21 million. Weibo had a net margin of 20.41% and a return on equity of 12.29%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.41 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Weibo will post 1.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Weibo Company Profile

Weibo Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a social media platform for people to create, discover, and distribute content in the People's Republic of China. It operates in two segments, Advertising and Marketing Services; and Value-Added Services. The company offers discovery products to help users discover content on its platform; self-expression products that enable its users to express themselves on its platform; and social products to promote social interaction between users on its platform.