Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS) Shares Shorted: Short Interest Up 84.2% in September

Posted by Francis Steltz on Oct 15th, 2026

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS – Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 34,053,358 shares, a growth of 84.2% from the September 15th total of 18,484,910 shares. Currently, 21.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 9,652,199 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.5 days.

Arbutus Biopharma Price Performance

NASDAQ:ABUS opened at $4.19 on Thursday. Arbutus Biopharma has a 1-year low of $3.50 and a 1-year high of $5.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $4.83 and a 200 day moving average of $4.59. The firm has a market cap of $830.06 million, a PE ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.76.

Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $1.01 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $0.70 million. Arbutus Biopharma had a net margin of 84.22% and a return on equity of 90.98%.

Arbutus Biopharma announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Friday, August 21st that allows the company to repurchase $0.00 in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the biopharmaceutical company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Share repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arbutus Biopharma

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ABUS. Two Seas Capital LP purchased a new position in Arbutus Biopharma during the second quarter valued at approximately $91,659,000. Whitefort Capital Management LP bought a new position in Arbutus Biopharma in the second quarter worth approximately $75,812,453. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Arbutus Biopharma in the second quarter worth approximately $66,077,000. Rubric Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Arbutus Biopharma by 320.6% during the first quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 6,626,389 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $29,819,000 after buying an additional 5,051,013 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Arbutus Biopharma during the second quarter worth $12,702,000. 43.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on ABUS shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Arbutus Biopharma from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Arbutus Biopharma from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $5.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Arbutus Biopharma

Arbutus Biopharma Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and other viral diseases. The company’s research programs are based primarily on RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics and small-molecule compounds designed to suppress viral replication and address the underlying biology of persistent infection.

Arbutus’ HBV pipeline has included AB-729, an investigational subcutaneously administered RNAi therapeutic intended to reduce hepatitis B surface antigen, and AB-836, an investigational oral capsid inhibitor designed to interfere with HBV replication.