Liberty Global Ltd (NASDAQ:LBTYA) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Liberty Global Ltd (NASDAQ:LBTYA) have received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $15.00.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on LBTYA shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Liberty Global in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Liberty Global from $11.80 to $12.60 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Liberty Global from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd.

Liberty Global Stock Down 2.6%

Liberty Global stock traded down $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $10.24. The stock had a trading volume of 2,564,426 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,605,062. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a PE ratio of -1.68 and a beta of 1.04. Liberty Global has a fifty-two week low of $9.02 and a fifty-two week high of $12.09. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96.

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported ($0.27) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by ($1.72). The firm had revenue of $1.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. Liberty Global had a negative return on equity of 14.71% and a negative net margin of 41.44%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Liberty Global will post -1.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Liberty Global

In related news, CFO Charles H. R. Bracken sold 33,220 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.18, for a total transaction of $371,399.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 13.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Liberty Global

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Liberty Global by 227.4% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 7,672,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $87,926,000 after buying an additional 5,328,998 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Liberty Global in the 2nd quarter worth about $37,954,000. Lancaster Investment Management raised its stake in Liberty Global by 91.5% in the 2nd quarter. Lancaster Investment Management now owns 4,506,798 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,113,000 after acquiring an additional 2,152,798 shares during the period. Rubric Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Liberty Global by 36.2% during the third quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 7,750,367 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,819,000 after purchasing an additional 2,058,142 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covalis Capital LLP bought a new position in Liberty Global during the second quarter worth about $17,054,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 37.20% of the company’s stock.

About Liberty Global

Liberty Global plc operates as a leading international telecommunications and television company, offering a wide array of broadband internet, digital cable television, fixed-line telephony and mobile services. Through its extensive fiber and hybrid-fiber coaxial networks, the company delivers high-speed internet connectivity, video on demand and interactive television platforms to residential and business customers. Its service portfolio includes digital voice, managed Wi-Fi solutions, home security and converged connectivity bundles designed to meet evolving consumer and enterprise demands.

The company’s footprint spans key European markets, including the United Kingdom and Ireland under the Virgin Media brand, the Netherlands through Ziggo, Belgium via Telenet, and operations in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Poland and Luxembourg.