Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) Short Interest Up 20.3% in March

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,930,000 shares, an increase of 20.3% from the February 28th total of 4,930,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,320,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days. Approximately 0.3% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 2,722.7% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 621 shares of the consumer goods maker’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. 5.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on BUD. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from $65.00 to $55.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Berenberg Bank started coverage on Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in a research report on Wednesday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Argus raised Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $70.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $66.00.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Stock Performance

NYSE BUD traded up $0.49 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $62.09. The stock had a trading volume of 2,295,637 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,779,133. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV has a 52-week low of $45.94 and a 52-week high of $67.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $111.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $56.44 and a 200 day moving average of $56.75.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The consumer goods maker reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $14.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.07 billion. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV had a net margin of 10.98% and a return on equity of 15.29%. Sell-side analysts predict that Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV will post 3.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Company Profile

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV produces, distributes, exports, markets, and sells beer and beverages. It offers a portfolio of approximately 500 beer brands, which primarily include Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois; Beck's, Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Michelob Ultra; and Aguila, Antarctica, Bud Light, Brahma, Cass, Castle, Castle Lite, Cristal, Harbin, Jupiler, Modelo Especial, Quilmes, Victoria, Sedrin, and Skol brands.