Roche Holding AG (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) Short Interest Up 467.7% in February

Roche Holding AG (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 11,741,100 shares, an increase of 467.7% from the February 13th total of 2,068,200 shares. Approximately 0.2% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 9,269,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.3 days.

Roche Price Performance

Shares of RHHBY stock traded down $1.06 on Wednesday, reaching $42.00. The company had a trading volume of 1,863,188 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,002,713. The company has a 50-day moving average of $39.31 and a 200-day moving average of $38.48. Roche has a 12 month low of $29.20 and a 12 month high of $43.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.26.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RHHBY has been the topic of a number of research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Roche to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Roche from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Roche in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Roche

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Roche during the third quarter worth about $40,000. IHT Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Roche during the third quarter worth about $236,000. Canopy Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Roche by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Canopy Partners LLC now owns 7,772 shares of the company’s stock valued at $310,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Roche by 26.8% in the 4th quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 8,036 shares of the company’s stock valued at $280,000 after purchasing an additional 1,697 shares during the period. Finally, HighPoint Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in Roche by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 11,091 shares of the company’s stock worth $387,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter.

Roche Company Profile

Roche Holding AG engages in the pharmaceuticals and diagnostics businesses in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Oceania. The company offers pharmaceutical products in the therapeutic areas of anemia, blood and solid tumors, dermatology, hemophilia, inflammatory and autoimmune, neurological disorders, ophthalmology, respiratory disorders, and transplantation.