CPI Card Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PMTS) Short Interest Down 17.9% in December

CPI Card Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PMTS) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 236,395 shares, a decline of 17.9% from the December 15th total of 287,997 shares. Currently, 2.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 34,547 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 34,547 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.8 days. Currently, 2.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

CPI Card Group Trading Down 3.3%

PMTS traded down $0.45 on Tuesday, hitting $13.29. The company had a trading volume of 35,074 shares, compared to its average volume of 31,820. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $14.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.05. CPI Card Group has a 1 year low of $11.64 and a 1 year high of $34.25. The firm has a market cap of $151.35 million, a P/E ratio of 11.08 and a beta of 1.20.

CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by ($0.16). CPI Card Group had a net margin of 2.79% and a negative return on equity of 58.98%. The company had revenue of $137.97 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $140.62 million. On average, analysts predict that CPI Card Group will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on PMTS. Weiss Ratings downgraded CPI Card Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research raised CPI Card Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. B. Riley lowered their price target on shares of CPI Card Group from $34.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 10th. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of CPI Card Group from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Lake Street Capital set a $25.00 target price on shares of CPI Card Group in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CPI Card Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $30.60.

Insider Transactions at CPI Card Group

In other CPI Card Group news, major shareholder Equity Ulc Parallel49 sold 2,126,056 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.51, for a total transaction of $28,723,016.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 2,687,921 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $36,313,812.71. This represents a 44.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman H Sanford Riley purchased 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $13.51 per share, for a total transaction of $2,702,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman directly owned 252,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,409,464.66. The trade was a 381.93% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CPI Card Group

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of CPI Card Group by 75.0% in the 3rd quarter. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC now owns 391,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,925,000 after buying an additional 167,764 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its position in CPI Card Group by 56.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 357,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,486,000 after acquiring an additional 128,808 shares in the last quarter. Vector Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in CPI Card Group by 18.6% during the third quarter. Vector Capital Management L.P. now owns 459,314 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,954,000 after purchasing an additional 71,891 shares during the period. Pembroke Management LTD lifted its position in shares of CPI Card Group by 87.9% during the third quarter. Pembroke Management LTD now owns 99,567 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,507,000 after purchasing an additional 46,575 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SummerHaven Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CPI Card Group during the third quarter worth about $564,000. 22.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CPI Card Group Company Profile

CPI Card Group, Inc (NASDAQ: PMTS) is a leading provider of payment, identification and related credential solutions for financial institutions, governments and private enterprises. The company specializes in the design, manufacturing and personalization of secure plastic and metal cards, including EMV chip, magnetic-stripe and contactless cards. CPI Card Group also offers digital credentialing services and cloud-based card management tools that enable real-time controls, mobile wallet integration, fraud monitoring and analytics.

With a focus on security and innovation, CPI Card Group integrates advanced features such as holograms, microprinting, RFID/NFC technology and laser-engraved artwork into its card products.