Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HIMX) Short Interest Down 12.2% in December

Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HIMX) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,760,000 shares, a drop of 12.2% from the December 15th total of 6,560,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,520,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.8 days.

Himax Technologies Stock Performance

HIMX stock traded up $0.08 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $8.85. The stock had a trading volume of 2,204,677 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,914,119. The stock has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a PE ratio of 20.11 and a beta of 1.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.64. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $6.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.45. Himax Technologies has a 52-week low of $4.80 and a 52-week high of $9.80.

Himax Technologies (NASDAQ:HIMX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The semiconductor company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $222.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $205.93 million. Himax Technologies had a return on equity of 9.06% and a net margin of 8.77%. The company’s revenue was down 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.06 EPS.

Himax Technologies announced that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, December 4th that allows the company to buyback $20.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the semiconductor company to purchase up to 1.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Himax Technologies from $7.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Himax Technologies

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Himax Technologies by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 169,330 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,361,000 after buying an additional 3,900 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Himax Technologies by 90.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 10,290 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 4,888 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Himax Technologies by 33.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 19,431 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $102,000 after buying an additional 4,915 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Himax Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth about $79,000. Finally, Aprio Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Himax Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth about $56,000. 69.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Himax Technologies Company Profile

Himax Technologies, Inc, a fabless semiconductor company, provides display imaging processing technologies in China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Europe, and the United States. The company operates in two segments, Driver IC and Non-Driver Products. It offers display driver integrated circuits (ICs) and timing controllers that are used in televisions, PC monitors, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, ePaper devices, industrial displays, and other products.