OneSpaWorld Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:OSW) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

OneSpaWorld Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:OSW) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,522,562 shares, an increase of 49.0% from the December 15th total of 1,693,287 shares. Currently, 2.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 461,236 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.5 days. Based on an average daily volume of 461,236 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.5 days. Currently, 2.6% of the shares of the company are short sold.

OneSpaWorld Price Performance

Shares of OneSpaWorld stock traded down $0.46 during trading on Friday, hitting $19.72. 762,623 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 459,080. OneSpaWorld has a fifty-two week low of $14.21 and a fifty-two week high of $23.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $20.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.93 and a beta of 1.04.

OneSpaWorld (NASDAQ:OSW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.29. OneSpaWorld had a return on equity of 16.38% and a net margin of 7.90%.The company had revenue of $258.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $258.41 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.26 earnings per share. OneSpaWorld’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that OneSpaWorld will post 0.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

OneSpaWorld Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 19th were paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 19th. This is a positive change from OneSpaWorld’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.04. OneSpaWorld’s dividend payout ratio is 28.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on OSW. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on OneSpaWorld from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of OneSpaWorld in a report on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of OneSpaWorld from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Northcoast Research set a $28.00 price target on shares of OneSpaWorld and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of OneSpaWorld in a report on Friday, October 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seven have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $24.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Stephen Lazarus sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.12, for a total transaction of $180,977.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 351,250 shares in the company, valued at $7,418,400. This represents a 2.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Walter Field Mclallen sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.21, for a total transaction of $101,050.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 154,882 shares in the company, valued at $3,130,165.22. The trade was a 3.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 33,569 shares of company stock worth $685,827 in the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On OneSpaWorld

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in OneSpaWorld by 41.4% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 25,286 shares of the company’s stock worth $425,000 after buying an additional 7,398 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of OneSpaWorld by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 59,779 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,004,000 after acquiring an additional 2,612 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in OneSpaWorld by 50.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 213,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,577,000 after purchasing an additional 71,420 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in OneSpaWorld by 80.7% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 92,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,556,000 after purchasing an additional 41,391 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in OneSpaWorld during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $245,000. 95.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About OneSpaWorld

OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd is a global provider of spa and wellness services, catering primarily to the cruise line, hospitality and venue-based leisure industries. The company designs and operates on-board spa facilities, salon services and retail boutiques, offering treatments such as massage, facial and body therapies, nail care, hair styling and aesthetic enhancements. Additionally, OneSpaWorld provides program consulting, management, training and product distribution services to its partners, enabling tailored spa experiences across diverse passenger and guest demographics.

OneSpaWorld’s core operations span major cruise lines—such as Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages—as well as luxury resort and hotel brands.