Southern California Bancorp (NASDAQ:BCAL) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Southern California Bancorp (NASDAQ:BCAL) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 786,800 shares, a growth of 33.2% from the June 30th total of 590,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 78,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 10.1 days. Currently, 6.8% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Southern California Bancorp Stock Performance

Southern California Bancorp stock traded down $0.22 during trading on Monday, hitting $15.08. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 71,603 shares, compared to its average volume of 55,529. The stock has a market capitalization of $279.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.50 and a beta of 0.83. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $13.81 and its 200 day moving average is $14.63. Southern California Bancorp has a 1-year low of $12.30 and a 1-year high of $18.00.

Southern California Bancorp (NASDAQ:BCAL) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 29th. The company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.29. The firm had revenue of $10.77 million during the quarter. Southern California Bancorp had a return on equity of 8.18% and a net margin of 17.56%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Southern California Bancorp will post 1.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern California Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCAL. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Southern California Bancorp during the first quarter worth about $159,000. Mendon Capital Advisors Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Southern California Bancorp in the fourth quarter worth about $375,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Southern California Bancorp in the second quarter worth about $461,000. Finally, Hennessy Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Southern California Bancorp by 8.8% in the second quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 124,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,670,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. 55.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Southern California Bancorp

Southern California Bancorp operates as the holding company for Bank of Southern California, N.A. that provides various financial products to individuals, professionals, and small-to medium-sized businesses. The company offers checking, personal and business savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.