Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,230,000 shares, an increase of 45.8% from the November 30th total of 1,530,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,190,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com cut Honda Motor from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, November 2nd. UBS Group upgraded shares of Honda Motor from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th.

Honda Motor Price Performance

NYSE:HMC traded down $0.26 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $28.50. 1,990,106 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,013,051. The company has a market capitalization of $48.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The business has a 50 day moving average of $27.18 and a 200 day moving average of $30.14. Honda Motor has a 1-year low of $23.41 and a 1-year high of $37.90.

Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($0.43). The firm had revenue of $36.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.60 billion. Honda Motor had a return on equity of 7.53% and a net margin of 4.53%. Research analysts forecast that Honda Motor will post 4.09 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Honda Motor

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HMC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Honda Motor by 22.8% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 57,739 shares of the company's stock worth $1,832,000 after purchasing an additional 10,720 shares in the last quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Honda Motor by 0.7% during the third quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 95,092 shares of the company's stock worth $3,017,000 after purchasing an additional 668 shares during the last quarter. Logan Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Honda Motor by 4.3% in the third quarter. Logan Capital Management Inc. now owns 92,307 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,929,000 after buying an additional 3,817 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Honda Motor in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Honda Motor during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $201,000. Institutional investors own 5.32% of the company's stock.

Honda Motor Company Profile

Honda Motor Co, Ltd. develops, manufactures, and distributes motorcycles, automobiles, power, and other products in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Motorcycle Business, Automobile Business, Financial Services Business, and Power Product and Other Businesses.