Short Interest in Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:SMFG) Grows By 24.0%

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:SMFG) was the target of a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,370,000 shares, a growth of 24.0% from the December 15th total of 4,330,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,210,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.4 days. Approximately 0.1% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its stake in Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 29.5% in the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 5,445 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 1,239 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 23.6% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 8,738 shares of the bank’s stock worth $110,000 after purchasing an additional 1,669 shares during the last quarter. AXA S.A. raised its stake in shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 29.2% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 9,200 shares of the bank’s stock worth $123,000 after purchasing an additional 2,081 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 11.0% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 10,183 shares of the bank’s stock worth $129,000 after purchasing an additional 1,007 shares in the last quarter. 3.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Stock Down 0.2 %

NYSE SMFG traded down $0.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $14.70. The stock had a trading volume of 974,054 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,613,364. The company has a market capitalization of $96.12 billion, a PE ratio of 12.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 0.63. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group has a 12 month low of $9.70 and a 12 month high of $15.56. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $14.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 23rd.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Company Profile

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking, leasing, securities, credit card, and consumer finance services in Japan, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. It operates through Wholesale Business Unit, Retail Business Unit, Global Business Unit, and Global Markets Business Unit segments.