Short Interest in HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) Decreases By 10.4%

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,820,000 shares, a drop of 10.4% from the January 15th total of 7,610,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,190,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.7 days. Currently, 0.2% of the company's stock are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HSBC

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Seven Mile Advisory lifted its position in shares of HSBC by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 5,405 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of HSBC by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 3,279 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $162,000 after buying an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in HSBC by 58.2% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 571 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank grew its position in HSBC by 11.9% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,122 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 226 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in HSBC by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 21,909 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $990,000 after buying an additional 235 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 1.48% of the company's stock.

HSBC Stock Up 0.2 %

HSBC stock traded up $0.10 during trading on Friday, hitting $56.07. 2,563,190 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,536,341. The business's 50 day moving average is $51.26 and its 200 day moving average is $47.09. HSBC has a 52 week low of $36.93 and a 52 week high of $57.08. The company has a market capitalization of $200.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.04, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.04. HSBC had a return on equity of 12.14% and a net margin of 16.17%. The business had revenue of $11.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.79 billion. Analysts predict that HSBC will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current year.

HSBC Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a dividend of $1.80 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $7.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.84%. HSBC's dividend payout ratio is currently 31.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of HSBC from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd.

HSBC Company Profile

HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking and wealth products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions.