Short Interest in JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAKK) Rises By 18.7%

JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAKK) saw a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 211,800 shares, a growth of 18.7% from the December 15th total of 178,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 92,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.3 days.

JAKKS Pacific Price Performance

NASDAQ:JAKK traded up $0.43 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $27.70. The stock had a trading volume of 47,531 shares, compared to its average volume of 63,958. The stock has a market cap of $304.42 million, a P/E ratio of 10.18 and a beta of 2.23. The business’s 50 day moving average is $27.83 and its 200 day moving average is $25.08. JAKKS Pacific has a fifty-two week low of $17.06 and a fifty-two week high of $36.35.

JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ:JAKK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $4.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.24 by $1.36. The business had revenue of $321.61 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $303.44 million. JAKKS Pacific had a net margin of 4.87% and a return on equity of 15.27%. Equities analysts expect that JAKKS Pacific will post 3.59 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on JAKK. StockNews.com raised JAKKS Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. B. Riley raised their price target on shares of JAKKS Pacific from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, JAKKS Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $41.67.

Insider Transactions at JAKKS Pacific

In related news, CFO John Louis Kimble sold 48,253 shares of JAKKS Pacific stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.62, for a total transaction of $1,332,747.86. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 95,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,638,925.28. The trade was a 33.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 3.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of JAKKS Pacific

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in JAKKS Pacific by 62.1% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 17,037 shares of the company’s stock valued at $435,000 after purchasing an additional 6,526 shares during the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in JAKKS Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at $230,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in JAKKS Pacific by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 198,146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,057,000 after buying an additional 12,809 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in JAKKS Pacific by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 148,012 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,777,000 after acquiring an additional 5,901 shares during the period. Finally, Philosophy Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in JAKKS Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth $7,105,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.38% of the company’s stock.

About JAKKS Pacific

JAKKS Pacific, Inc designs, produces, markets, sells, and distributes toys and related products, electronic products, and other consumer products worldwide. It operates through two segments, Toys/Consumer Products and Costumes. The company offers action figures and accessories, such as licensed characters; toy vehicles and accessories; dolls and accessories, including small, large, fashion, and baby dolls based on licenses, as well as infant and pre-school products; private label products; and foot-to-floor ride-on products.