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

Xcel Brands, Inc (NASDAQ:XELB) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of June. As of June 30th, there was short interest totaling 19,848 shares, a decrease of 85.7% from the June 15th total of 138,325 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 86,883 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.5% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Xcel Brands Price Performance

NASDAQ XELB traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1.62. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 14,539 shares, compared to its average volume of 95,068. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.80 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.35 and a beta of 1.20. The company’s 50-day moving average is $2.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Xcel Brands has a 1-year low of $0.74 and a 1-year high of $2.66.

Xcel Brands (NASDAQ:XELB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The textile maker reported ($0.42) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.64) by $0.22. The business had revenue of $1.14 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 million. Xcel Brands had a negative return on equity of 83.71% and a negative net margin of 361.04%. On average, equities analysts predict that Xcel Brands will post -1.41 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised Xcel Brands from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $3.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xcel Brands

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in XELB. DRW Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Xcel Brands by 98.1% in the fourth quarter. DRW Securities LLC now owns 34,434 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 17,053 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Brands during the 3rd quarter worth about $88,000. Finally, Potomac Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Xcel Brands in the 4th quarter valued at about $441,000. 18.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.