LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (NYSE:LTM) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on LATAM Airlines Group, with six buy ratings and two holds. The average 12-month price target is $66.27, implying upside from the reported $52.49 share price.
• LATAM exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.44 in earnings per share versus a $0.41 estimate and $4.12 billion in revenue versus a $4.06 billion consensus forecast.
• Institutional interest increased, with investors including Goldman Sachs, Rhumbline Advisers and First Trust Advisors expanding their positions, while AQR Capital Management and Quantbot Technologies initiated new stakes.

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (NYSE:LTM - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the eight ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $66.2667.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on LTM shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of LATAM Airlines Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of LATAM Airlines Group in a research report on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of LATAM Airlines Group in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. They set an "overweight" rating and a $70.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of LATAM Airlines Group in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a "buy" rating and a $70.00 target price for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $72.60 target price on shares of LATAM Airlines Group in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th.

LATAM Airlines Group Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:LTM opened at $52.49 on Tuesday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $53.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 3.64. LATAM Airlines Group has a 12-month low of $41.41 and a 12-month high of $70.42.

LATAM Airlines Group (NYSE:LTM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The transportation company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. LATAM Airlines Group had a return on equity of 101.21% and a net margin of 9.69%. As a group, research analysts predict that LATAM Airlines Group will post 5 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LATAM Airlines Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of LATAM Airlines Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $3,061,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in LATAM Airlines Group by 133.9% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 40,258 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,259,000 after acquiring an additional 23,044 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in LATAM Airlines Group by 113.8% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 3,194 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 1,700 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in LATAM Airlines Group in the second quarter valued at $402,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in LATAM Airlines Group by 149.1% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 69,108 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,809,000 after acquiring an additional 41,363 shares in the last quarter.

LATAM Airlines Group Company Profile

LATAM Airlines Group SA is a Chilean-based airline holding company formed in 2012 through the merger of LAN Airlines of Chile and TAM Linhas Aéreas of Brazil. The Group offers passenger and cargo air transportation services across South America and beyond, operating under a multi‐brand strategy that encompasses several nationally recognized carriers. Headquartered in Santiago, Chile, LATAM is structured to serve diverse market segments with full-service, premium and low‐cost offerings.

The core business activities of LATAM Airlines Group include scheduled domestic and international passenger flights, air cargo services and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities through its technical divisions.

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