Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,260,000 shares, an increase of 6.7% from the September 30th total of 8,680,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,350,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.9 days. Approximately 44.0% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GRPN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $26.00 price target on shares of Groupon in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Northland Capmk upgraded shares of Groupon to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Northland Securities reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $20.00 price target on shares of Groupon in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Groupon currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $17.83.

Groupon Stock Performance

NASDAQ GRPN traded down $0.57 on Thursday, reaching $10.26. The stock had a trading volume of 1,087,762 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,243,047. The stock has a market cap of $407.75 million, a P/E ratio of -9.08 and a beta of 1.78. Groupon has a 12-month low of $8.08 and a 12-month high of $19.56. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $11.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $13.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.62, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.94.

Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The coupon company reported ($0.15) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.25) by $0.10. The business had revenue of $124.62 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $121.70 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.30) earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Groupon will post 0.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Jason Harinstein bought 15,000 shares of Groupon stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $10.61 per share, with a total value of $159,150.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 55,658 shares in the company, valued at $590,531.38. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Groupon news, Director Robert J. Bass sold 4,583 shares of Groupon stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.35, for a total transaction of $52,017.05. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 104,731 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,188,696.85. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Jason Harinstein acquired 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $10.61 per share, for a total transaction of $159,150.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 55,658 shares in the company, valued at approximately $590,531.38. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 31.91% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Groupon by 41.8% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 59,163 shares of the coupon company’s stock worth $789,000 after buying an additional 17,440 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP grew its stake in shares of Groupon by 28.9% in the 1st quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 95,722 shares of the coupon company’s stock valued at $1,277,000 after purchasing an additional 21,468 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Groupon by 16.3% in the first quarter. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC now owns 97,686 shares of the coupon company’s stock valued at $1,303,000 after purchasing an additional 13,663 shares during the period. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Groupon during the first quarter worth approximately $151,000. Finally, Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Groupon during the first quarter worth $437,000. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Groupon

Groupon, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates a marketplace that connects consumers to merchants. It operates in two segments, North America and International. The company sells goods or services on behalf of third-party merchants. It serves customers through its mobile applications and websites.