Short interest has been rising on Viacom stock
Analysts are weighing in on auto stock Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), MTV owner Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAB), and burger chain Shake Shack Inc (NYSE:SHAK). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on shares of F, VIAB, and SHAK.
No End in Sight to Ford Stock's Pain
It's been an ugly stretch for
Ford stock. Year-to-date, the shares have dropped roughly 10%, while longer term, they've been stuck in a series of lower highs since mid-2014. And with F stock last seen at $10.93, more losses could be in store, amid reports of weak
car sales in the U.K. Plus, Nomura's Instinet downgraded the equity to "neutral" from "buy" and slashed its price target to $11.60 from $14.80, joining the opinion of most analysts on Wall Street. Specifically, 10 of 15 brokerage firms rate Ford a "hold" or "strong sell."
Viacom Outlook Spooks Investors
Viacom last night delivered a bleak
outlook for its fiscal fourth-quarter, and the stock is now set to open almost 9% lower. This would put VIAB shares -- which have a 52-week high of $46.62 -- in territory not seen since February 2016, after they closed yesterday at $35.07. Analysts were quick to weigh in, too, with at least four lowering their price targets. The lowest mark of $30 came from Deutsche Bank, which maintained its "sell" rating.
Meanwhile, it's probably not surprising that short interest has been rising on VIAB stock. As it stands now, nearly 18 million shares are sold short, compared to 10.6 million in late April. Still, this represents just 5% of Viacom's float, so there's room for more bears to pile on, which could pressure the security on the charts.
Shake Shack Stock Sees Price Target Dropped After Earnings
Disappointing second-quarter same-store sales and lackluster guidance appear to be overshadowing Shake Shack's earnings beat, with the shares pointed slightly lower in electronic trading. Pouring salt on the proverbial wounds are price-target cuts from Cowen (to $35) and Barclays (to $34). SHAK stock has made no headway on the charts during the past year, and at last night's close at $33.16, it's down 16.5% year-over-year. This is just fine with short sellers, who control a whopping 27% of Shake Shack's float -- or 17 times the average daily pace of trading.