Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 10,650,000 shares, a growth of 28.3% from the February 13th total of 8,300,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,070,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.5 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group stock traded up $0.22 during trading on Monday, hitting $13.88. 21,472,617 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,550,631. The firm has a market cap of $167.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has a 52-week low of $8.75 and a 52-week high of $13.97. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $12.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $11.58.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (NYSE:MUFG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.09. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group had a return on equity of 9.27% and a net margin of 14.19%. On average, equities analysts predict that Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUFG. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 46.6% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,522,079 shares of the company’s stock worth $123,319,000 after purchasing an additional 3,342,330 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 325.9% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,822,530 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,800,000 after purchasing an additional 2,924,979 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,252,000. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 40.4% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,021,271 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,570,000 after acquiring an additional 1,731,873 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 15.7% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 7,853,310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,947,000 after acquiring an additional 1,067,409 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.59% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th.

About Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company, that engages in a range of financial businesses in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through seven segments: Digital Service, Retail & Commercial Banking, Japanese Corporate & Investment Banking, Global Commercial Banking, Asset Management & Investor Services, Global Corporate & Investment Banking, and Global Markets.