Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX) Short Interest Up 6.4% in January

Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX) was the target of a large increase in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,510,000 shares, an increase of 6.4% from the December 31st total of 5,180,000 shares. Currently, 2.5% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,910,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.9 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on HOLX. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Hologic in a report on Monday, January 13th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Hologic from $86.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Hologic from $84.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 13th. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of Hologic from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lowered shares of Hologic from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $90.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Monday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hologic currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $88.92.

Hologic Stock Down 0.6 %

NASDAQ HOLX opened at $71.72 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 3.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $73.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.03. Hologic has a 1-year low of $68.61 and a 1-year high of $84.67. The company has a market capitalization of $16.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.54, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.98.

Hologic (NASDAQ:HOLX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The medical equipment provider reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.01. The company had revenue of $987.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $978.25 million. Hologic had a net margin of 19.59% and a return on equity of 19.79%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.89 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Hologic will post 4.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Hologic

In related news, COO Essex D. Mitchell sold 24,856 shares of Hologic stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.34, for a total value of $1,897,507.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 27,957 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,134,237.38. The trade was a 47.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.88% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hologic

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC purchased a new stake in Hologic in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. General Partner Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hologic in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Hologic by 156.3% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 428 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hologic in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.73% of the company’s stock.

Hologic Company Profile

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.