Short Interest in Winmark Corporation (NASDAQ:WINA) Expands By 19.5%

Winmark Corporation (NASDAQ:WINA) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 401,396 shares, a growth of 19.5% from the February 12th total of 335,798 shares. Approximately 12.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 74,443 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.4 days. Based on an average trading volume of 74,443 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.4 days. Approximately 12.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Winmark Price Performance

Shares of WINA stock opened at $431.31 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $447.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $444.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.54 billion, a PE ratio of 38.14 and a beta of 0.68. Winmark has a 1-year low of $295.79 and a 1-year high of $527.37.

Winmark (NASDAQ:WINA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The specialty retailer reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.78 by ($0.09). Winmark had a net margin of 48.40% and a negative return on equity of 102.34%. The business had revenue of $21.09 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.09 million.

Winmark Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th were issued a dividend of $0.96 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Winmark’s payout ratio is currently 33.95%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WINA. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Winmark by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 186,832 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $75,656,000 after acquiring an additional 6,235 shares in the last quarter. AltraVue Capital LLC increased its stake in Winmark by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. AltraVue Capital LLC now owns 174,323 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $86,773,000 after purchasing an additional 1,440 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in Winmark by 56.0% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 152,018 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $61,558,000 after purchasing an additional 54,567 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Winmark by 33.2% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 109,427 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $54,469,000 after purchasing an additional 27,275 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its position in Winmark by 18.3% during the fourth quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 96,314 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $39,001,000 after purchasing an additional 14,881 shares in the last quarter. 73.32% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Winmark from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Winmark Company Profile

Winmark Corporation (NASDAQ: WINA) is a franchisor of retail resale stores, specializing in the resale of apparel, sporting goods, children’s and maternity clothing, toys, and entertainment media. Through its portfolio of well-known brands—such as Plato’s Closet, Once Upon a Child, Play It Again Sports, and Style Encore—Winmark provides aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to own and operate neighborhood resale businesses. The company supports its franchisees with site selection, store design, training programs, and ongoing marketing assistance, emphasizing a turnkey approach to retail entrepreneurship.

Each of Winmark’s franchised brands targets a distinct consumer segment.