Short Interest in Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX) Increases By 32.2%

Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,870,000 shares, an increase of 32.2% from the February 28th total of 4,440,000 shares. Currently, 2.6% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 2,540,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days.

Hologic Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:HOLX traded up $0.45 during trading on Monday, hitting $61.77. 2,036,389 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,810,593. The company has a quick ratio of 2.78, a current ratio of 3.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The business’s fifty day moving average is $65.24 and its 200-day moving average is $73.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.49, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.97. Hologic has a one year low of $60.34 and a one year high of $84.67.

Hologic (NASDAQ:HOLX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.01. Hologic had a return on equity of 19.72% and a net margin of 18.42%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Hologic will post 4.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HOLX has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Leerink Partnrs lowered Hologic from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Hologic from $84.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 13th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Hologic to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Leerink Partners downgraded shares of Hologic from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $80.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Hologic in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Hologic currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $84.62.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hologic

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HOLX. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Hologic during the 4th quarter valued at about $133,414,000. Boston Partners boosted its position in shares of Hologic by 81.0% during the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,580,519 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $257,959,000 after buying an additional 1,602,463 shares during the period. Champlain Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Hologic in the 4th quarter worth approximately $79,291,000. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in Hologic by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,147,420 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $226,898,000 after acquiring an additional 668,086 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Hologic by 16.4% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,070,384 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $293,434,000 after acquiring an additional 572,187 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.73% of the company’s stock.

Hologic Company Profile

Hologic, Inc develops, manufactures, and supplies diagnostics products, medical imaging systems, and surgical products for women's health through early detection and treatment. The company operates through four segments: Diagnostics, Breast Health, GYN Surgical, and Skeletal Health. It provides Aptima molecular diagnostic assays to detect the infectious microorganisms; Aptima viral load assays for Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and human cytomegalo virus; Aptima bacterial vaginosis and candida vaginitis assays for the diagnosis of vaginitis; Aptima SARS-CoV-2 and Panther Fusion SARS-CoV-2 assays to detect SARS-CoV-2; ThinPrep System for cytology applications; and Rapid Fetal Fibronectin Test that assists physicians in assessing the risk of pre-term birth.