Short Interest in Woori Bank (NYSE:WF) Expands By 23.0%

Woori Bank (NYSE:WF) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of 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. Based on an average trading volume of 140,475 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.7 days. Currently, 0.0% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Woori Bank Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of WF stock traded up $1.39 on Thursday, reaching $72.44. 93,462 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 97,970. Woori Bank has a 52 week low of $34.33 and a 52 week high of $84.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.72 billion, a PE ratio of 8.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $71.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $61.86.

Woori Bank (NYSE:WF) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The bank reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $367.58 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. Woori Bank had a net margin of 13.49% and a return on equity of 8.74%. As a group, analysts forecast that Woori Bank will post 8.24 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woori Bank

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WF. Laird Norton Wetherby Trust Company LLC bought a new stake in Woori Bank during the 4th quarter valued at $5,521,000. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in Woori Bank during the 4th quarter valued at $3,954,000. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Woori Bank by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,399,904 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $82,300,000 after purchasing an additional 61,178 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors bought a new stake in Woori Bank during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,997,000. Finally, B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its position in Woori Bank by 100.1% during the 4th quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG now owns 89,881 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $5,284,000 after purchasing an additional 44,974 shares in the last quarter. 3.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on WF shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woori Bank in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered Woori Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Woori Bank from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Woori Bank presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

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.