Consider latest public figures -source NASDAQ -- UNIS website
In the last 3 reporting periods shorts increased 1 million per reporting period (2 weeks), and now sits at 24 million.
Institutes own 38% of 111 mil shares and the UNIS Market Cap is $375.5 mil, but in reality should be plus $72 mil the value of the shorts at nominal $3 each.
Of the 82 Institutional holders 32 increased their total positions by 3,561,246 shares
33 decreased their position by 1,962,579 shares total.
17 held their position steady
6 Institutions sold out 557,507 shares
13 new positions established 586,904 ( which may suggest that shares moved for personal gain eg take them out of your superannuation fund and put into their own. Any thing is possible)
Whilst most major funds holding UNIS shares were decreased 1% to 3%, the Bank of Montreal has been buying up and increased their holdings by 89.64% or by 2,236,140 shares to become the third largest institutional share holder. A few other smaller holders increased their holdings by 32% and 52% and of course the new holders by 100%
So what does it all mean?
The shear number of shorts must mean that Institutions are shorting their own shares. Why? To be able to buy more cheaper short term by frightening investors?
Why would any Institution want to lessen the value of their holdings, unless it is a way of earning income via interest paid on the loans to shorters and also profit on the rebound?
It is not possible that all these major Institutions would buy a start up stock so heavily and hold so long, if they believed it had a chance of failing, or that they would let it fail as can be seen by the straight sell share price trades ( by that I mean, that there has been many NASDAQ trade days when the graph goes horizontal, and someone is preventing the share price falling any further).
It appears that most of the institutions would like to lower the share price by selling, but the Bank of Montreal is not in the Wall St Club and are happy to buy up the offerings.
I have pondered "Why any person (Institution) would want to sell down this stock, at a time of a major positive turning point when UNIS is signing multiple huge contracts and does not appear to be putting a foot wrong, with income and other monies flowing in compared to previous years and after owning these shares through a period of extreme uncertainty?.
With the Q1 income being down because of a late payment, the Q2 finances should be correspondently up, which should make the shorters more nervous and seek an appointment with the "Psychiatrist" for some soothing advice.
I look forward to some interesting comments.