Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totaling 276,860 shares, a growth of 199.1% from the May 31st total of 92,564 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 223,131 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.2 days.

Japan Tob Price Performance

JAPAY stock traded down $0.31 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $18.48. 652 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 162,285. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.31. Japan Tob has a 12-month low of $14.02 and a 12-month high of $20.68. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $18.92 and its 200 day moving average is $18.71. The company has a market cap of $65.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 0.28.

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $5.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.69 billion. On average, research analysts expect that Japan Tob will post 1.11 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Japan Tob from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $17.00.

About Japan Tob

Japan Tobacco Inc (OTC: JAPAY) is a Tokyo-based multinational company primarily engaged in the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. The company’s core activities include the development, production and distribution of cigarettes and other nicotine-delivery products for domestic and international markets. Japan Tobacco also pursues business activities beyond tobacco, including pharmaceutical and processed‑food operations through subsidiary units and strategic investments.

In its tobacco operations the company serves both the Japanese market and a broad international footprint through its global operating arm, Japan Tobacco International (JTI).