Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,260,000 shares, a growth of 6.7% from the September 30th total of 8,680,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,350,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.9 days. Approximately 44.0% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Groupon Price Performance

NASDAQ GRPN traded down $0.57 during trading on Thursday, reaching $10.26. 1,087,762 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,243,047. Groupon has a 1-year low of $8.08 and a 1-year high of $19.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.62, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.94. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $11.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.09. The company has a market cap of $407.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.08 and a beta of 1.78.

Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The coupon company reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.25) by $0.10. The company had revenue of $124.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $121.70 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.30) earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Groupon will post 0.04 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on GRPN. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $26.00 target price on shares of Groupon in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Northland Securities restated an “outperform” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Groupon in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, Northland Capmk raised Groupon to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Groupon currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $17.83.

Insider Activity at Groupon

In other Groupon news, Director Robert J. Bass sold 4,583 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.35, for a total transaction of $52,017.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 104,731 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,188,696.85. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Jason Harinstein bought 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $10.61 per share, for a total transaction of $159,150.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 55,658 shares in the company, valued at $590,531.38. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Robert J. Bass sold 4,583 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.35, for a total transaction of $52,017.05. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 104,731 shares in the company, valued at $1,188,696.85. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 31.91% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Groupon

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wolf Hill Capital Management LP bought a new position in Groupon during the 1st quarter valued at about $17,897,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Groupon in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $10,884,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in Groupon by 259.3% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 191,514 shares of the coupon company’s stock worth $2,930,000 after acquiring an additional 138,218 shares during the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC grew its position in Groupon by 591.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 123,727 shares of the coupon company’s stock worth $1,893,000 after acquiring an additional 105,832 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Groupon by 16.3% during the 1st quarter. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC now owns 97,686 shares of the coupon company’s stock valued at $1,303,000 after purchasing an additional 13,663 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

Groupon Company Profile

Groupon, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates a marketplace that connects consumers to merchants. It operates in two segments, North America and International. The company sells goods or services on behalf of third-party merchants. It serves customers through its mobile applications and websites.