Short Interest in Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) Rises By 42.7%

Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 4,876,942 shares, an increase of 42.7% from the February 12th total of 3,417,203 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,984,545 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days. Currently, 11.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Currently, 11.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,984,545 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on ITRI shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Itron from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on shares of Itron in a research note on Friday, March 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $124.00 target price on the stock. Johnson Rice raised shares of Itron from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, January 5th. Zacks Research raised shares of Itron from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Guggenheim set a $155.00 target price on shares of Itron in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Itron currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $137.10.

Itron Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ITRI traded down $0.62 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $90.00. The stock had a trading volume of 539,878 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,434,633. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a market cap of $4.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 1.44. Itron has a 1 year low of $88.57 and a 1 year high of $142.00. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $97.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $106.59.

Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $571.66 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $561.31 million. Itron had a net margin of 12.72% and a return on equity of 20.04%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. Itron has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.300 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.750-6.250 EPS. Research analysts expect that Itron will post 5.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Itron

In other news, SVP Donald L. Reeves III sold 519 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.84, for a total value of $50,778.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 29,951 shares in the company, valued at $2,930,405.84. This trade represents a 1.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Christopher E. Ware sold 763 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.17, for a total value of $76,429.71. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 31,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,109,577.31. This represents a 2.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 51,180 shares of company stock worth $5,085,475 over the last ninety days. 1.51% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Impax Asset Management Group plc raised its position in shares of Itron by 127.3% in the 3rd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 1,588,950 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $197,153,000 after purchasing an additional 890,040 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Itron in the 4th quarter worth approximately $63,990,000. Soros Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Itron in the fourth quarter worth $34,843,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in Itron by 269.3% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 506,867 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $47,068,000 after purchasing an additional 369,617 shares during the period. Finally, Merewether Investment Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Itron by 1,552.7% in the 2nd quarter. Merewether Investment Management LP now owns 300,787 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $39,593,000 after buying an additional 282,587 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.19% of the company’s stock.

Itron Company Profile

Itron, Inc (NASDAQ: ITRI) is a global technology company that develops innovative solutions to measure, manage and analyze the use of energy and water. Its comprehensive portfolio includes smart meters, data collection devices, communication networks and advanced software applications designed to optimize utility operations and foster sustainable resource management. The company’s offerings enable utilities and cities to accurately monitor consumption patterns, streamline billing processes and improve grid reliability.

Itron’s product lineup spans a range of hardware and software solutions, from residential and commercial smart meters to meter data management systems (MDMS), networked communication platforms and analytics tools.