KBC Group SA (OTCMKTS:KBCSY) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

KBC Group SA (OTCMKTS:KBCSY) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 856 shares, a drop of 86.1% from the December 15th total of 6,141 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 34,455 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 34,455 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays cut KBC Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of KBC Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of KBC Group in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of KBC Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of KBC Group in a report on Friday, November 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, KBC Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

KBC Group Stock Performance

KBCSY traded up $0.21 during trading on Monday, reaching $66.87. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 11,501 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,107. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $63.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.14. KBC Group has a 52-week low of $36.52 and a 52-week high of $67.07. The company has a market capitalization of $55.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.54.

KBC Group (OTCMKTS:KBCSY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.06. KBC Group had a return on equity of 13.96% and a net margin of 15.91%.The business had revenue of $3.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.54 billion. Equities analysts predict that KBC Group will post 4.28 earnings per share for the current year.

KBC Group Company Profile

KBC Group is a Belgian bank-insurance group headquartered in Brussels that combines retail and commercial banking with life and non-life insurance, asset management, leasing and related financial services. The company operates an integrated bank-insurance model designed to serve both individual consumers and corporate clients, offering deposit accounts, lending and mortgage products, payment and treasury services, pension and protection insurance, investment solutions and wealth management.

The group’s banking activities include retail and private banking, corporate and commercial banking, and specialized finance such as leasing and factoring.