Republic Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:RBCAA) Short Interest Up 27.4% in April

Republic Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:RBCAA) saw a significant growth in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 189,816 shares, a growth of 27.4% from the March 31st total of 148,972 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 95,707 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Currently, 2.2% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on RBCAA shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Republic Bancorp in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Republic Bancorp from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Republic Bancorp currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Republic Bancorp

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Republic Bancorp by 7,500.0% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 15,200 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,098,000 after buying an additional 15,000 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Republic Bancorp by 11.0% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 265,298 shares of the bank’s stock worth $19,168,000 after acquiring an additional 26,319 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Republic Bancorp by 52.9% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 23,236 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,679,000 after acquiring an additional 8,037 shares during the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Republic Bancorp by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 25,700 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,857,000 after acquiring an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $60,000. 24.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Republic Bancorp Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of Republic Bancorp stock traded up $0.70 on Thursday, hitting $75.66. 26,822 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 59,598. Republic Bancorp has a 52-week low of $63.97 and a 52-week high of $78.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market cap of $1.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.68 and a beta of 0.55. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $71.20 and its 200 day moving average is $70.44.

Republic Bancorp (NASDAQ:RBCAA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The bank reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.63. Republic Bancorp had a net margin of 25.22% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The firm had revenue of $114.57 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $96.60 million.

About Republic Bancorp

Republic Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that operates through its principal subsidiary, Republic Bank & Trust Company. The company provides a full suite of commercial and retail banking services tailored to individuals, small businesses and middle?market clients. Core offerings include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, treasury and cash-management services, mortgage financing, SBA lending and wealth management solutions. Republic Bancorp also supports specialized financing needs through equipment leasing and small business advisory services.

Republic Bancorp’s branch network spans key markets in the U.S.