Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:OESX) Short Interest Up 140.1% in August

Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:OESX) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of August. As of August 14th, there was short interest totaling 54,844 shares, an increase of 140.1% from the July 30th total of 22,841 shares. Approximately 1.4% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 157,478 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Orion Energy Systems Stock Performance

Orion Energy Systems stock traded down $0.54 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $26.09. 97,773 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 58,763. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $13.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $106.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -521.80 and a beta of 0.77. Orion Energy Systems has a 1 year low of $6.87 and a 1 year high of $27.37.

Orion Energy Systems (NASDAQ:OESX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The electronics maker reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.40. Orion Energy Systems had a net margin of 0.04% and a return on equity of 11.66%. The company had revenue of $25.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.56 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Orion Energy Systems will post 0.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on OESX shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Orion Energy Systems from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Zacks Research raised Orion Energy Systems from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $30.00 price objective on shares of Orion Energy Systems in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Orion Energy Systems from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $30.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Orion Energy Systems

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of OESX. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of Orion Energy Systems by 114.3% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 130,101 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $1,137,000 after purchasing an additional 69,387 shares in the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its stake in shares of Orion Energy Systems by 29.0% in the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 525,552 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $4,593,000 after acquiring an additional 118,100 shares in the last quarter. Tieton Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Orion Energy Systems in the second quarter worth approximately $3,326,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in Orion Energy Systems by 32.4% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 178,469 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $1,560,000 after purchasing an additional 43,693 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grace & White Inc. NY lifted its stake in Orion Energy Systems by 9.2% in the first quarter. Grace & White Inc. NY now owns 241,387 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $2,110,000 after buying an additional 20,400 shares during the last quarter. 52.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Orion Energy Systems Company Profile

Orion Energy Systems, Inc is a U.S.-based provider of energy-efficient lighting and building controls solutions. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the company specializes in designing, manufacturing and deploying LED lighting fixtures and integrated energy management systems for commercial and industrial customers.

The company’s product portfolio includes a range of LED light fixtures, smart sensors, networked controls and cloud-based energy management software.