Short interest in VERX shares rose sharply during December, with 7,266,393 shares sold short as of month end, representing a 20.6% increase from 6,023,811 shares on December 15. At the average daily trading volume of 1,022,407 shares, this translates into a short-interest ratio of 7.1 days. Approximately 8.0% of the company’s outstanding shares are now held short, suggesting growing bearish sentiment among certain market participants.

Several hedge funds and institutional investors modified their positions in VERX over recent quarters. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holding by 31.0%, adding 347 shares to reach 1,467 shares. Raymond James Financial established a new stake valued at roughly $54,000. Blue Trust Inc. expanded its position by 44.4%, acquiring 512 additional shares for a total of 1,664 shares. Advisors Asset Management boosted its allocation by 25.7%, purchasing an extra 395 shares, while Johnson Financial Group initiated a position in the third quarter worth about $130,000. Overall, institutions now control 70.32% of VERX’s shares.

In its most recent quarterly report, VERX delivered earnings per share of $0.17, beating consensus by $0.01, and reported revenue of $192.11 million, up 12.7% year-over-year. The company recorded a negative net margin of 7.32% but generated a return on equity of 26.84%. On the same day, the board approved a $150 million share repurchase authorization, permitting buybacks of up to 4.1% of outstanding stock, signaling management’s confidence in the company’s valuation and long-term cash flow prospects.