Burford Capital Limited (NYSE:BUR) Receives Consensus Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Shares of Burford Capital Limited (NYSE:BUR - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Hold" by the five brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $12.00.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on BUR. Bank of America began coverage on Burford Capital in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Zacks Research lowered Burford Capital from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Wedbush restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $4.75 price target (down from $6.00) on shares of Burford Capital in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Burford Capital in a research note on Friday, March 27th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Burford Capital

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BUR. Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in Burford Capital by 1,687.7% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,914 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 2,751 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in shares of Burford Capital during the first quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Burford Capital in the fourth quarter worth approximately $53,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Burford Capital in the third quarter worth approximately $120,000. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in shares of Burford Capital during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $124,000.

Burford Capital Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE BUR opened at $5.18 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 10.93, a quick ratio of 10.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Burford Capital has a 12-month low of $3.59 and a 12-month high of $15.10. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $6.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $8.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.20 and a beta of 1.28.

Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The company reported ($0.17) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.54). Burford Capital had a return on equity of 1.97% and a net margin of 15.14%.The company had revenue of $48.78 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $168.30 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Burford Capital will post -0.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Burford Capital Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 147.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. Burford Capital's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.44%.

About Burford Capital

Burford Capital NYSE: BUR is a leading global finance firm that specializes in litigation and arbitration funding, risk management, and asset recovery. The company provides capital to law firms and corporate clients to finance legal fees and associated costs in commercial disputes. In exchange for funding, Burford shares in any awards or settlements, enabling clients to pursue meritorious claims without bearing upfront legal expenses.

Founded in 2009 by Christopher Bogart, Burford was among the first firms to establish a dedicated litigation finance business.

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