Lesaka Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:LSAK) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Lesaka Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:LSAK) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 131,230 shares, a growth of 29.8% from the December 31st total of 101,084 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 95,531 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days. Currently, 0.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 0.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 95,531 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Insider Transactions at Lesaka Technologies

In other news, Chairman Ali Mazanderani purchased 1,800,000 shares of Lesaka Technologies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $5.00 per share, for a total transaction of $9,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 2,325,115 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,625,575. This represents a 342.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Daniel Luke Smith acquired 11,503 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $4.40 per share, with a total value of $50,613.20. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 23,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $103,400. This represents a 95.88% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders acquired 1,830,500 shares of company stock worth $9,130,204. Company insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lesaka Technologies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Citadel Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lesaka Technologies by 26.4% in the 3rd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 18,977 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 3,959 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP bought a new stake in Lesaka Technologies in the third quarter valued at about $74,000. Schwarz Dygos Wheeler Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Lesaka Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $595,000. Finally, Rathbones Group PLC boosted its holdings in Lesaka Technologies by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 3,644,420 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,384,000 after buying an additional 225,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 24.19% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on LSAK shares. Zacks Research raised Lesaka Technologies from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Lesaka Technologies in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Lesaka Technologies Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of LSAK traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $4.60. 141,801 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 72,987. The business has a fifty day moving average of $4.45 and a 200-day moving average of $4.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $386.81 million, a PE ratio of -4.30 and a beta of 0.47. Lesaka Technologies has a 1-year low of $3.39 and a 1-year high of $5.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10.

Lesaka Technologies (NASDAQ:LSAK) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.04 by ($0.09). Lesaka Technologies had a negative net margin of 14.02% and a negative return on equity of 47.06%. The business had revenue of $171.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $158.00 million. Lesaka Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.260-0.260 EPS. Analysts expect that Lesaka Technologies will post -0.16 EPS for the current year.

About Lesaka Technologies

Lesaka Technologies, Inc operates as a Fintech company that utilizes its proprietary banking and payment technologies to deliver financial services solutions to merchants (B2B) and consumers (B2C) in Southern Africa. It offers cash management solutions, growth capital, card acquiring, bill payment technologies, and value-added services to formal and informal retail merchants, as well as banking, lending, and insurance solutions to consumers across Southern Africa. The company also engages in the sale of POS devices, SIM cards, and other consumables; and license of rights to use certain technology developed by the company, as well as offers related technology services.