AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU) Short Interest Up 8.0% in December

AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,550,000 shares, an increase of 8.0% from the December 15th total of 5,140,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,140,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the fourth quarter valued at $69,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the 3rd quarter worth about $126,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 378.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,782 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $127,000 after purchasing an additional 3,782 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,991 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $151,000 after purchasing an additional 2,520 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter valued at about $222,000. 36.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Up 1.1 %

AU stock traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $27.28. The stock had a trading volume of 2,534,422 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,959,805. The business has a 50-day moving average of $24.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $27.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.14. AngloGold Ashanti has a 52-week low of $15.80 and a 52-week high of $32.57.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on AU shares. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $31.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Investec upgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Scotiabank upgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a “sector underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $30.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, November 21st. StockNews.com lowered AngloGold Ashanti from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $37.00 to $32.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $31.75.

About AngloGold Ashanti

AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania.