LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC) Short Interest Up 22.7% in January

LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 4,161,597 shares, an increase of 22.7% from the December 31st total of 3,392,540 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,808,777 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.3 days. Approximately 3.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Approximately 3.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,808,777 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.3 days.

LendingClub Price Performance

Shares of LC opened at $16.00 on Thursday. LendingClub has a 1-year low of $7.90 and a 1-year high of $21.67. The stock has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a PE ratio of 13.91 and a beta of 2.08. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $19.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $17.34.

LendingClub (NYSE:LC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The credit services provider reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.01. LendingClub had a return on equity of 9.62% and a net margin of 13.58%.The business had revenue of $266.47 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $262.88 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.08 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year. LendingClub has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.800 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.340-0.390 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that LendingClub will post 0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LendingClub declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, November 5th that permits the company to buyback $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the credit services provider to buy up to 4.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on LC shares. Zacks Research cut shares of LendingClub from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of LendingClub from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on LendingClub from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Janney Montgomery Scott lifted their price target on LendingClub from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of LendingClub in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $22.00.

Insider Transactions at LendingClub

In other news, Director Erin Selleck sold 2,390 shares of LendingClub stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.47, for a total value of $46,533.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 76,377 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,487,060.19. This trade represents a 3.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingClub

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Independent Advisor Alliance raised its position in LendingClub by 28.4% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 28,551 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $541,000 after purchasing an additional 6,317 shares during the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in LendingClub in the fourth quarter valued at $386,000. Bailard Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of LendingClub in the fourth quarter valued at about $208,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LendingClub during the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of LendingClub by 13.8% during the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 13,533 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $256,000 after buying an additional 1,645 shares during the period. 74.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About LendingClub

LendingClub Corporation operates an online lending marketplace that connects borrowers seeking personal and small business credit with individual and institutional investors. The platform leverages technology to streamline the loan application and underwriting process, offering unsecured personal loans, auto refinancing, and small business loans. In addition to lending products, LendingClub provides high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its banking charter, following its acquisition of Radius Bank in 2021.

Founded in 2006 by Renaud Laplanche, LendingClub pioneered peer-to-peer lending in the United States, helping to democratize access to credit and investment opportunities.