Grifols, S.A. (NASDAQ:GRFS) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Grifols, S.A. (NASDAQ:GRFS) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 6,651,031 shares, a growth of 26.9% from the November 30th total of 5,240,582 shares. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 650,839 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 10.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 650,839 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 10.2 days. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on GRFS. Wall Street Zen raised Grifols from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Zacks Research cut Grifols from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Grifols in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Grifols from $10.30 to $10.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Grifols presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $10.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grifols

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in Grifols by 2.4% during the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 47,192 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $427,000 after acquiring an additional 1,114 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Grifols by 39.5% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,598 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,584 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of Grifols by 14.1% during the third quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 13,978 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $139,000 after purchasing an additional 1,728 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Grifols by 16.0% in the third quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 14,011 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $140,000 after purchasing an additional 1,935 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ascent Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Grifols by 12.5% in the third quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 17,597 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $175,000 after buying an additional 1,951 shares in the last quarter.

Grifols Price Performance

GRFS traded up $0.15 on Thursday, hitting $9.35. 744,255 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 434,935. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $8.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.47. The company has a current ratio of 2.48, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. Grifols has a one year low of $6.19 and a one year high of $11.14. The firm has a market cap of $6.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.21, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.67.

Grifols Company Profile

Grifols, Inc (NASDAQ: GRFS) is a global healthcare company specializing in the development, manufacture and marketing of plasma-derived medicines, diagnostic systems and hospital supplies. With a core focus on immunotherapy and transfusion medicine, the company harnesses human plasma proteins to create therapies that treat a wide range of bleeding disorders, immunodeficiencies and neurological conditions. Grifols also supplies reagents and diagnostic instruments for transfusion centers and clinical laboratories, alongside intravenous solutions and medical devices for hospital use.

The company operates three main business units.