eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ:EHTH) Short Interest Up 26.5% in December

eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ:EHTH) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 300,100 shares, an increase of 26.5% from the November 30th total of 237,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 215,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days.

eHealth Stock Performance

Shares of EHTH stock traded down $0.11 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $8.65. The company had a trading volume of 221,039 shares, compared to its average volume of 264,313. The stock has a market cap of $256.33 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.04 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 3.10 and a quick ratio of 3.10. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $5.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.87. eHealth has a 52-week low of $3.58 and a 52-week high of $9.10.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EHTH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group assumed coverage on eHealth in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $5.50 target price on the stock. Craig Hallum upgraded eHealth from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $5.00 to $7.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on eHealth from $13.00 to $11.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 25th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of eHealth from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, eHealth presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $6.38.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On eHealth

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in eHealth by 28.7% during the 3rd quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 30,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $122,000 after buying an additional 6,694 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of eHealth by 104.3% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 47,445 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $194,000 after acquiring an additional 24,224 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in eHealth by 40.7% during the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 12,451 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 3,600 shares in the last quarter. RBF Capital LLC lifted its position in eHealth by 29.0% in the third quarter. RBF Capital LLC now owns 443,141 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,808,000 after purchasing an additional 99,618 shares during the period. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its holdings in eHealth by 86.8% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 212,555 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $867,000 after purchasing an additional 98,793 shares in the last quarter. 79.54% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

eHealth Company Profile

eHealth, Inc operates a health insurance marketplace that provides consumer engagement, education, and health insurance enrollment solutions in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Medicare; and Employer and Individual. The Medicare segment offers sale of Medicare-related health insurance plans, which includes Medicare advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to Medicare-eligible customers including but not limited to, dental, and vision insurance, as well as advertising program for marketing and other services.