Xcel Brands, Inc (NASDAQ:XELB) Short Interest Update

Xcel Brands, Inc (NASDAQ:XELB) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 77,900 shares, a decline of 20.6% from the December 15th total of 98,108 shares. Currently, 2.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 56,169 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days. Based on an average daily volume of 56,169 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days. Currently, 2.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Insider Transactions at Xcel Brands

In related news, CEO Loren Robert W. D acquired 81,466 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $1.17 per share, with a total value of $95,315.22. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $804,137.49. This trade represents a 13.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 181,466 shares of company stock worth $130,315. 29.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Xcel Brands

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Xcel Brands stock. Citadel Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Brands, Inc (NASDAQ:XELB) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 49,841 shares of the textile maker’s stock, valued at approximately $88,000. Citadel Advisors LLC owned about 1.05% of Xcel Brands as of its most recent SEC filing. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.55% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Brands Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:XELB opened at $1.32 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $6.28 million, a P/E ratio of -0.17 and a beta of 0.90. Xcel Brands has a 12-month low of $0.74 and a 12-month high of $4.70. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

Xcel Brands (NASDAQ:XELB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The textile maker reported ($2.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.93) by ($1.09). Xcel Brands had a negative return on equity of 51.46% and a negative net margin of 437.09%.The company had revenue of $1.12 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.24 million. Analysts predict that Xcel Brands will post -0.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on XELB shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Xcel Brands in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Maxim Group initiated coverage on Xcel Brands in a report on Tuesday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $3.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Xcel Brands currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $3.00.

About Xcel Brands

Xcel Brands, Inc (NASDAQ: XELB) is a lifestyle brand management company that acquires, develops and markets consumer product brands spanning fashion, entertainment and home categories. The company works with designers, celebrities and entertainment properties to create branded apparel, accessories, jewelry and home décor collections. Its portfolio includes licensed and proprietary brands such as Judith Ripka, Isaac Mizrahi and Simple Joys by Carter’s, among others.

The company’s business model centers on sourcing creative talent and intellectual property, then leveraging an in-house product development team to design collections that are manufactured by third-party partners.