Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) Given New $5.00 Price Target at Wedbush

Key Points

• Wedbush raised its price target on Burford Capital from $4.75 to $5.00 while keeping a neutral rating, implying a slight downside from the stock’s current price.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mixed, with analyst ratings split between Buy, Hold, and Sell, and MarketBeat showing an overall consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $11.50.
• Burford’s recent fundamentals were weak: the company missed earnings expectations in its last quarterly report, posting a loss per share and revenue well below estimates, even as shares traded near $5.16.

Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by research analysts at Wedbush from $4.75 to $5.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. Wedbush's price target would suggest a potential downside of 3.01% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on BUR. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Burford Capital in a report on Friday, March 27th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Burford Capital from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Burford Capital in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $11.50.

Burford Capital Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:BUR opened at $5.16 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $6.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 10.93 and a quick ratio of 10.93. Burford Capital has a one year low of $3.59 and a one year high of $15.10. The company has a market cap of $1.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.70 and a beta of 1.28.

Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR - Get Free Report) last announced 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 net margin of 15.14% and a return on equity of 10.19%. The firm had revenue of $48.78 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.30 million. Analysts anticipate that Burford Capital will post -0.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Burford Capital

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. KBC Group NV raised its position in Burford Capital by 8,916.0% in the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 640,497 shares of the company's stock worth $2,895,000 after purchasing an additional 633,393 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in shares of Burford Capital during the first quarter valued at about $1,626,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd boosted its stake in Burford Capital by 181.8% during the first quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 217,931 shares of the company's stock worth $985,000 after acquiring an additional 140,595 shares in the last quarter. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new stake in Burford Capital during the first quarter worth about $2,226,000. Finally, Wasatch Advisors LP bought a new stake in Burford Capital during the first quarter worth about $98,000.

Burford Capital Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.