Woori Bank (NYSE:WF) Short Interest Up 23.0% in March

Woori Bank (NYSE:WF) saw a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 97,955 shares, a growth of 23.0% from the March 15th total of 79,663 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 140,475 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.7 days.

Woori Bank Price Performance

NYSE WF traded up $2.18 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $74.46. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 125,219 shares, compared to its average volume of 133,028. Woori Bank has a 1 year low of $34.80 and a 1 year high of $84.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The company has a market capitalization of $18.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.59, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.13. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $71.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $62.06.

Woori Bank (NYSE:WF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The bank reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by ($0.04). Woori Bank had a net margin of 13.49% and a return on equity of 8.74%. The company had revenue of $367.58 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.84 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that Woori Bank will post 8.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on WF. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woori Bank in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of Woori Bank from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Woori Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Institutional Trading of Woori Bank

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Woori Bank by 242.5% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 27,892 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,566,000 after purchasing an additional 19,749 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors bought a new stake in shares of Woori Bank in the 3rd quarter worth about $2,997,000. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in shares of Woori Bank by 109.0% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 35,898 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,016,000 after buying an additional 18,726 shares in the last quarter. Ethic Inc. raised its position in shares of Woori Bank by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 114,310 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $6,418,000 after buying an additional 9,298 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barometer Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Woori Bank in the 3rd quarter valued at about $696,000. 3.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Woori Bank

Woori Bank Co, Ltd. (NYSE: WF) is a South Korean commercial bank and the principal banking unit of Woori Financial Group. Established in 2001 through the merger of Hanvit Bank and Peace Bank, the institution traces its roots to earlier banking entities that date back to the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. Headquartered in Seoul, Woori Bank operates under a universal banking model, serving both individual customers and corporate clients with a comprehensive suite of financial products and services.

The bank’s core operations encompass retail banking, corporate and investment banking, treasury services, and wealth management.