Short Interest in Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) Grows By 19.5%

Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,300,000 shares, a growth of 19.5% from the August 15th total of 7,780,000 shares. Approximately 1.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,450,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.8 days.

Fiserv Stock Performance

Shares of Fiserv stock traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $175.34. The company had a trading volume of 1,568,485 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,450,034. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $164.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $156.08. Fiserv has a 1-year low of $109.11 and a 1-year high of $176.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market cap of $102.59 billion, a PE ratio of 32.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.93.

Fiserv (NYSE:FI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.03. Fiserv had a net margin of 17.45% and a return on equity of 16.41%. The firm had revenue of $5.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Fiserv will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of Fiserv to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Fiserv from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $154.00 to $175.00 in a report on Monday, July 22nd. StockNews.com cut shares of Fiserv from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, September 5th. BTIG Research began coverage on Fiserv in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Finally, B. Riley upped their price target on Fiserv from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Fiserv currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.32.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 24,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total transaction of $3,959,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 163,699 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,005,424.03. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, EVP John Gibbons sold 18,890 shares of Fiserv stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $168.21, for a total transaction of $3,177,486.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 28,323 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,764,211.83. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Guy Chiarello sold 24,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total value of $3,959,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 163,699 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,005,424.03. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 66,890 shares of company stock worth $10,853,407 over the last ninety days. 0.75% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Fiserv

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fiserv during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Fiserv in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. RE Dickinson Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Fiserv during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Fiserv during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. bought a new stake in Fiserv during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. 90.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Fiserv Company Profile

Fiserv, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides payments and financial services technology services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through Merchant Acceptance, Financial Technology, and Payments and Network segments.