Short Interest in Xcel Brands, Inc (NASDAQ:XELB) Declines By 20.6%

Xcel Brands, Inc (NASDAQ:XELB) was the recipient of a significant 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. Based on an average daily volume of 56,169 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 56,169 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days.

Xcel Brands Price Performance

Shares of Xcel Brands stock opened at $1.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.51 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $1.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.29 million, a P/E ratio of -0.17 and a beta of 0.90. Xcel Brands has a one year low of $0.74 and a one year high of $4.70.

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

Insider Transactions at Xcel Brands

In other news, CEO Loren Robert W. D acquired 81,466 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $1.17 per share, for a total transaction of $95,315.22. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 687,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $804,137.49. This trade represents a 13.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders bought a total of 181,466 shares of company stock worth $130,315 over the last three months. Insiders own 29.47% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xcel Brands

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Xcel Brands stock. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Brands, Inc (NASDAQ:XELB) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 49,841 shares of the textile maker’s stock, valued at approximately $88,000. Citadel Advisors LLC owned about 1.05% of Xcel Brands at the end of the most recent quarter. 18.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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