ORIX Co. (NYSE:IX) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

ORIX Co. (NYSE:IX) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 781,300 shares, an increase of 500.1% from the February 13th total of 130,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 189,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.1 days. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the company are sold short.

ORIX Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:IX traded up $0.28 during trading on Friday, hitting $21.19. 33,452 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 118,987. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $20.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.93. The company has a market cap of $25.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.84, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.94. ORIX has a 52-week low of $18.11 and a 52-week high of $25.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.77 and a quick ratio of 1.73.

ORIX (NYSE:IX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.01. ORIX had a net margin of 13.66% and a return on equity of 9.73%. As a group, equities analysts predict that ORIX will post 11.31 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ORIX

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of ORIX in the third quarter worth about $80,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in ORIX in the 4th quarter valued at about $123,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in ORIX by 282.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,274 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $136,000 after acquiring an additional 941 shares in the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of ORIX by 1,310.0% during the fourth quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 1,410 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $150,000 after acquiring an additional 1,310 shares during the period. Finally, Gitterman Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of ORIX by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. Gitterman Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,927 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $205,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 1.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded ORIX from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 1st.

About ORIX

ORIX Corporation provides diversified financial services in Japan, the United States, Asia, Europe, Australasia, and the Middle East. The company's Corporate Financial Services and Maintenance Leasing segment is involved in the finance and fee; leasing and rental of automobiles, electronic measuring instruments, and ICT-related equipment businesses; and provision of life insurance and environment and energy-related products and services.