Stocks

Short Interest in Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN) Sees 25% Rise

Published March 8, 2025

Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN) experienced a notable spike in short interest during February. By February 15th, the total short interest rose to 18,710,000 shares, representing a 25.0% increase from the January 31st count of 14,970,000 shares. Presently, about 3.4% of the company's shares are sold short. With an average trading volume of 3,350,000 shares, the current short-interest ratio stands at 5.6 days.

Changes in Analyst Ratings

In a separate development, UBS Group upgraded Gen Digital to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report released on Wednesday, December 4th.

Gen Digital Stock Performance

During midday trading on Thursday, shares of NASDAQ GEN declined by 0.8%, dropping $0.22 to a price of $27.33. The volume of shares traded reached 3,098,493, which is lower than the average volume of 3,625,812. Over the past year, Gen Digital has seen a low of $19.58 and a high of $31.72. The company's market capitalization is approximately $16.84 billion. In terms of financial ratios, it has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.79 and a P/E-to-growth (P/E/G) ratio of 1.19. Additionally, Gen Digital holds a beta of 0.83, and its debt-to-equity ratio is reported at 3.29. The company shows a current ratio and quick ratio of 0.35. Its 50-day simple moving average is at $27.44, while the 200-day simple moving average rests at $27.81.

Earnings Results for Gen Digital

Gen Digital reported its earnings on January 30th, posting earnings per share (EPS) of $0.52 for the quarter. This result fell short of analysts' expectations, which had estimated an EPS of $0.55, missing it by $0.03. The company recorded a net margin of 16.32% and a return on equity (ROE) of 58.83%. Analysts predict that Gen Digital will achieve an EPS of 2.05 for the current year.

Institutional Trading Activity

Recently, various hedge funds have adjusted their holdings in Gen Digital. For instance, Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position by 5.4% in the fourth quarter, now owning 25,212 shares valued at approximately $690,000 after purchasing an additional 1,299 shares. In the same quarter, QSM Asset Management Ltd acquired a new stake valued around $5,373,000. Moreover, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH also established a new stake worth about $14,367,000. Notably, 81.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Gen Digital

Gen Digital Inc. provides cyber safety solutions targeting consumers across multiple regions, including the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Japan. The company offers security and performance products under renowned brands like Norton, Avast, Avira, AVG, and CCleaner, which protect PCs, Macs, and mobile devices from malware, viruses, adware, and various online threats.