Short Interest in The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:COO) Expands By 28.2%

The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:COO - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,950,000 shares, an increase of 28.2% from the February 28th total of 3,080,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,760,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.2 days. Currently, 2.0% of the company's shares are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Cooper Companies to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Cooper Companies from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, December 6th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Cooper Companies from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Cooper Companies from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Cooper Companies from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $110.25.

Cooper Companies Stock Down 5.6 %

Cooper Companies stock traded down $4.40 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $73.77. The stock had a trading volume of 2,661,526 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,365,871. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.01. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $87.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $96.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.91. Cooper Companies has a 1-year low of $73.32 and a 1-year high of $112.38.

Cooper Companies (NASDAQ:COO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The medical device company reported $0.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.92. Cooper Companies had a net margin of 10.07% and a return on equity of 9.38%. The company had revenue of $964.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $981.25 million. As a group, analysts expect that Cooper Companies will post 3.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cooper Companies

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Cooper Companies by 517.1% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 175,152 shares of the medical device company's stock worth $16,102,000 after acquiring an additional 146,771 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Cooper Companies by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 9,370 shares of the medical device company's stock worth $861,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in shares of Cooper Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $17,392,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Cooper Companies by 138.9% in the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 48,514 shares of the medical device company's stock valued at $4,460,000 after buying an additional 28,204 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Cooper Companies by 12.4% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 19,910 shares of the medical device company's stock valued at $1,830,000 after buying an additional 2,193 shares during the last quarter. 24.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Cooper Companies

The Cooper Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets contact lens wearers. The company operates in two segments, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. The CooperVision segment provides spherical lense, including lenses that correct near and farsightedness; and toric and multifocal lenses comprising lenses correcting vision challenges, such as astigmatism, presbyopia, and myopia in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.