Banco De Chile (NYSE:BCH) Short Interest Update

Banco De Chile (NYSE:BCH) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 534,796 shares, an increase of 35.7% from the January 15th total of 393,972 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 516,943 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.0 days. Based on an average daily volume of 516,943 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.0 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BCH has been the topic of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Banco De Chile from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $36.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Banco De Chile from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. UBS Group set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Banco De Chile and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Banco De Chile from $33.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Banco De Chile from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $40.00.

Banco De Chile Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BCH traded down $0.33 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $43.42. The stock had a trading volume of 598,636 shares, compared to its average volume of 452,885. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $40.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $35.12. Banco De Chile has a fifty-two week low of $23.66 and a fifty-two week high of $46.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.09, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.53.

Banco De Chile (NYSE:BCH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The bank reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.60 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $826.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $878.92 million. Banco De Chile had a return on equity of 23.94% and a net margin of 33.09%. Research analysts predict that Banco De Chile will post 2.31 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco De Chile

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. TT International Asset Management LTD bought a new position in Banco De Chile in the third quarter valued at about $26,962,000. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in shares of Banco De Chile by 110.0% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 494,082 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $18,775,000 after purchasing an additional 258,844 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its position in Banco De Chile by 199.1% during the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 352,465 shares of the bank’s stock worth $10,680,000 after purchasing an additional 234,619 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Banco De Chile by 177.7% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 298,085 shares of the bank’s stock worth $9,032,000 after purchasing an additional 190,741 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. lifted its stake in Banco De Chile by 29.5% in the 4th quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. now owns 835,782 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $31,755,000 after purchasing an additional 190,567 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 1.24% of the company’s stock.

About Banco De Chile

Banco de Chile (NYSE: BCH) is a leading Chilean financial institution headquartered in Santiago. Founded in 1893, the bank is one of the country’s oldest and most established banking groups, serving a broad spectrum of individual, corporate and institutional clients. It is publicly listed and operates under Chilean banking regulations while participating in international capital markets.

The bank’s core businesses include retail banking, commercial and corporate banking, and investment banking.