Technology

Short Sellers Get Selective About Top Chip Stocks

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Of the seven semiconductor stocks we cover, three posted new 52-week highs in the two-week short interest reporting period ended December 15, 2014. One stock posted a new 52-week low. Chipmakers with a solid position in the mobile space continue to advance, and the world’s largest semiconductor maker is also strong as demand for desktops and laptops is better than expected.

Intel Corp.‘s (NASDAQ: INTC), short interest fell 14.3% to 141.2 million shares. About 2.9% of Intel’s float is now short. Days to cover is five. In the two-week short interest period, shares slipped about 2.7%, but they are up about 44% year-to-date through Wednesday’s close at $37.44. The stock’s 52-week range is $23.50 to $37.90.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) saw short interest rise by 2.2% to 146.38 million shares, or 23.2% of the company’s total float. Days to cover is nine. In the two-week short interest period, shares fell 13% and are down nearly 32% year-to-date through Wednesday’s close at $2.66. The stock’s 52-week range is $2.35 to $4.80.

Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM) short interest rose 8.7% to 16.06 million shares, which represents about 1% of the company’s float. Days to cover is two. In the short interest period, shares slipped 2.6%, but they are up about 0.5% year-to-date through Wednesday’s close at $74.66. The stock’s 52-week trading range is $67.67 to $81.97.

ALSO READ: Apple’s Short Interest Plummets

Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) saw a 7.7% increase in short interest to 77.1 million shares, which represents about 6.3% of the firm’s float. Days to cover is six. In the two-week short interest period, shares fell 2%, although the share price has risen nearly 43% year-to-date through Wednesday’s close at $25.25. The stock’s 52-week range is $16.40 to $25.71.

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) showed a drop of 2.9% in short interest to 88.34 million shares, or about 8.3% of Micron’s float. Days to cover is five. In the short interest period, shares fell about 6.4% but have risen more than 60% year-to-date through Wednesday’s close at $34.91. The stock’s 52-week range is $20.64 to $36.59.

SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK) saw short interest rise by 3.4% to 15.78 million shares, or about 7.2% of the company’s float. Days to cover is five. The stock price is up about 43% since the beginning of the year, but shares lost 6.4% in the two-week period to December 15. The stock’s 52-week range is $66.80 to $108.77, and shares ended Wednesday at $100.65.

Broadcom Corp.‘s (NASDAQ: BRCM) short interest fell 33.5% to 5.52 million shares. That is just 1% of the company’s total float. Days to cover is one. In the two-week short interest period, shares fell almost 2%, but they have risen more than 46% year-to-date through Wednesday’s close at $43.38. The stock’s 52-week range is $28.30 to $44.33.

ALSO READ: The 5 Most Shorted Nasdaq Stocks in Mid-December

 

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