Southern California Bancorp (NASDAQ:BCAL) Short Interest Up 47.1% in April

Southern California Bancorp (NASDAQ:BCAL) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 423,600 shares, a growth of 47.1% from the March 31st total of 287,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 40,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 10.4 days. Currently, 3.7% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southern California Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCAL. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Southern California Bancorp in the first quarter valued at $159,000. Mendon Capital Advisors Corp acquired a new position in Southern California Bancorp during the fourth quarter valued at $375,000. Eclectic Associates Inc. ADV purchased a new stake in Southern California Bancorp in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,015,000. Finally, Hennessy Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Southern California Bancorp in the 1st quarter worth about $1,700,000. 55.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Southern California Bancorp Price Performance

NASDAQ BCAL traded up $0.04 on Friday, hitting $14.14. 12,717 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 28,572. Southern California Bancorp has a twelve month low of $12.16 and a twelve month high of $18.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $261.97 million and a P/E ratio of 10.17. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $14.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.31.

Southern California Bancorp (NASDAQ:BCAL) last released its earnings results on Friday, March 15th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $22.46 million for the quarter. Southern California Bancorp had a net margin of 20.42% and a return on equity of 9.35%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Southern California Bancorp will post 1.42 EPS for the current year.

About Southern California Bancorp

Southern California Bancorp operates as the holding company for Bank of Southern California, N.A. that provides various financial products to individuals, professionals, and small-to medium-sized businesses. The company offers checking, personal and business savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.