Short Interest in J Sainsbury plc (OTCMKTS:JSAIY) Grows By 238.2%

J Sainsbury plc (OTCMKTS:JSAIY) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 37,200 shares, an increase of 238.2% from the November 30th total of 11,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 87,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days.

J Sainsbury Stock Performance

Shares of JSAIY stock traded down $0.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $13.80. The stock had a trading volume of 97,024 shares, compared to its average volume of 32,399. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $13.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. J Sainsbury has a fifty-two week low of $12.09 and a fifty-two week high of $16.43.

J Sainsbury Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a $0.2025 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 18th.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on JSAIY shares. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of J Sainsbury to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Barclays raised J Sainsbury to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. UBS Group upgraded J Sainsbury to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised J Sainsbury to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 18th.

About J Sainsbury

J Sainsbury plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the food, general merchandise and clothing retailing, and financial services activities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It operates through three segments: Retail Food, Retail General Merchandise and Clothing, and Financial Services.