KB Financial Group Inc (NYSE:KB) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

KB Financial Group Inc (NYSE:KB) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 436,993 shares, a decrease of 47.0% from the June 30th total of 824,704 shares. Approximately 0.4% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 349,833 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days.

KB Financial Group Stock Down 3.0%

KB traded down $3.43 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $112.31. The stock had a trading volume of 328,243 shares, compared to its average volume of 302,693. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.47. The company has a market capitalization of $39.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.01. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $109.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $105.58. KB Financial Group has a one year low of $76.31 and a one year high of $125.62.

KB Financial Group (NYSE:KB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The bank reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. KB Financial Group had a net margin of 17.36% and a return on equity of 9.99%. The business had revenue of $3.49 billion for the quarter. As a group, analysts expect that KB Financial Group will post 12.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KB Financial Group

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in KB Financial Group by 131.6% in the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 403 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of KB Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of KB Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of KB Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of KB Financial Group by 29.3% in the first quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 477 shares of the bank’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. 11.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of KB Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded KB Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of KB Financial Group in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

KB Financial Group Company Profile

KB Financial Group Inc is a South Korea-based financial holding company that offers a broad range of banking and financial services. Headquartered in Seoul and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker KB, the group operates through a set of specialized subsidiaries to provide integrated financial solutions for retail, corporate and institutional clients.

The company’s principal businesses include retail and corporate banking, securities and investment banking, insurance (life and non-life), asset management, credit card and consumer finance, and leasing.