Korea Electric Power Corporation (NYSE:KEP) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Korea Electric Power Corporation (NYSE:KEP) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 537,332 shares, a decrease of 34.0% from the January 29th total of 813,778 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 511,251 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.1 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 511,251 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.1 days.

Korea Electric Power Trading Down 12.5%

Shares of KEP traded down $2.78 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $19.51. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,302,366 shares, compared to its average volume of 526,311. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The company’s 50-day moving average is $19.78 and its 200-day moving average is $16.62. Korea Electric Power has a 52-week low of $7.08 and a 52-week high of $23.41.

Korea Electric Power (NYSE:KEP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The utilities provider reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.03. Korea Electric Power had a return on equity of 19.00% and a net margin of 8.47%.The company had revenue of $19.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.17 billion.

Institutional Trading of Korea Electric Power

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KEP. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Korea Electric Power by 21.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,625 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 466 shares during the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC boosted its stake in Korea Electric Power by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 12,226 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 526 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. grew its holdings in Korea Electric Power by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 22,518 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $372,000 after purchasing an additional 654 shares during the last quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Korea Electric Power by 6.1% during the third quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. now owns 12,594 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $164,000 after purchasing an additional 727 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Korea Electric Power by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 12,851 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $168,000 after purchasing an additional 746 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on KEP shares. Zacks Research upgraded Korea Electric Power to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Korea Electric Power in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Korea Electric Power from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

About Korea Electric Power

Korea Electric Power (KEP) is a South Korea–based integrated electric utility engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The company’s activities span power plant operation and maintenance, grid management, fuel procurement and power trading, as well as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for large-scale power projects. Its asset base includes a mix of thermal, nuclear, hydro and renewable generation capacity, and the company supports system planning and reliability functions for the national electricity network.

In addition to core utility operations, KEP provides a range of technical and consulting services tied to power infrastructure, including plant construction, refurbishment and decommissioning support.