Short Interest in Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX) Rises By 5.9%

Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,930,000 shares, a growth of 5.9% from the January 15th total of 5,600,000 shares. Currently, 2.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 2,310,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.6 days.

Hologic Trading Up 1.1 %

HOLX traded up $0.68 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $63.92. 1,969,437 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,519,579. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.97. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $70.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $76.91. The company has a quick ratio of 3.03, a current ratio of 3.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Hologic has a 1-year low of $62.69 and a 1-year high of $84.67.

Hologic (NASDAQ:HOLX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.01. Hologic had a return on equity of 19.72% and a net margin of 18.42%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Hologic will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HOLX has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. BNP Paribas raised shares of Hologic to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Leerink Partners cut Hologic from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $80.00 to $75.00 in a report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded Hologic from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Hologic from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their price target on Hologic from $76.00 to $73.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Hologic has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $85.77.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hologic

In other news, COO Essex D. Mitchell sold 24,856 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.34, for a total transaction of $1,897,507.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 27,957 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,134,237.38. This trade represents a 47.06 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.88% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hologic

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. General Partner Inc. acquired a new stake in Hologic during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Groupama Asset Managment boosted its position in shares of Hologic by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 33,177 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 2,999 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Hologic by 156.3% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 428 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Hologic by 38.3% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 484 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Hologic by 79.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 586 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.73% of the company’s stock.

About Hologic

Hologic, Inc develops, manufactures, and supplies diagnostics products, medical imaging systems, and surgical products for women's health through early detection and treatment. The company operates through four segments: Diagnostics, Breast Health, GYN Surgical, and Skeletal Health. It provides Aptima molecular diagnostic assays to detect the infectious microorganisms; Aptima viral load assays for Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and human cytomegalo virus; Aptima bacterial vaginosis and candida vaginitis assays for the diagnosis of vaginitis; Aptima SARS-CoV-2 and Panther Fusion SARS-CoV-2 assays to detect SARS-CoV-2; ThinPrep System for cytology applications; and Rapid Fetal Fibronectin Test that assists physicians in assessing the risk of pre-term birth.