LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPSN) Short Interest Down 21.6% in February

LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPSN - Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 9,200,000 shares, a decline of 21.6% from the February 13th total of 11,740,000 shares. Currently, 11.2% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 3,770,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days.

LivePerson Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LPSN traded up $0.03 during trading on Friday, reaching $0.95. 391,132 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,864,481. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.47 million, a P/E ratio of -0.62 and a beta of 1.51. LivePerson has a 12 month low of $0.45 and a 12 month high of $2.08. The company has a 50 day moving average of $1.20 and a 200-day moving average of $1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.24, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.27.

LivePerson (NASDAQ:LPSN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The technology company reported ($1.27) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($1.23). The firm had revenue of $73.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.12 million. LivePerson had a negative return on equity of 111.48% and a negative net margin of 18.72%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.06) EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that LivePerson will post -0.41 EPS for the current year.

Remove Ads

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on LPSN. StockNews.com downgraded shares of LivePerson from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of LivePerson in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, LivePerson presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $0.88.

Insider Transactions at LivePerson

In related news, CEO Anthony John Sabino sold 111,020 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $0.98, for a total value of $108,799.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,243,819 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,178,942.62. This represents a 3.31 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In the last quarter, insiders sold 290,137 shares of company stock worth $278,780. 9.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LivePerson

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in LivePerson by 89.9% in the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 19,006 shares of the technology company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 9,000 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of LivePerson by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 402,345 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $515,000 after purchasing an additional 15,032 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in LivePerson in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wolverine Trading LLC increased its holdings in shares of LivePerson by 104.1% in the third quarter. Wolverine Trading LLC now owns 32,121 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 16,385 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mystic Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of LivePerson by 57.5% during the fourth quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc. now owns 50,920 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 18,600 shares during the last quarter. 79.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About LivePerson

LivePerson, Inc engages in conversational artificial intelligence. It enables brands to leverage the Conversational Cloud's intelligence engine to connect with consumers through an integrated suite of mobile and online business messaging technologies. The company offers the Conversational Cloud, an enterprise-class digital customer conversation platform, which enables businesses and consumers to connect through conversational channels, such as voice, in-app, and mobile messaging.