125,587 Shares in Comcast Corporation $CMCSA Purchased by North Dakota State Investment Board

Key Points

• North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in Comcast, acquiring 125,587 shares valued at about $3.75 million in the fourth quarter. Several other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions, and institutions now own 84.32% of the stock.
• Comcast’s recent quarterly results came in ahead of expectations, with EPS of $0.79 versus the $0.73 estimate and revenue of $31.46 billion versus the $30.42 billion forecast. Revenue rose 5.3% year over year, and analysts expect full-year EPS of 3.58.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share, which implies an annualized yield of about 5.3%. However, analyst sentiment remains cautious overall, with a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $34.79.

North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 125,587 shares of the cable giant's stock, valued at approximately $3,754,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of CMCSA. Eubel Brady & Suttman Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Comcast during the fourth quarter valued at $32,772,000. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Comcast in the 4th quarter worth about $283,000. Staley Capital Advisers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Comcast in the 4th quarter worth about $218,000. iA Global Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Comcast by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 796,444 shares of the cable giant's stock worth $23,806,000 after purchasing an additional 85,522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, May Hill Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Comcast during the 4th quarter worth about $321,000. 84.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CMCSA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Pivotal Research lowered shares of Comcast from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $29.00 price objective on shares of Comcast in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Comcast from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. New Street Research decreased their price target on Comcast from $36.00 to $31.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on Comcast from $33.00 to $35.50 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Comcast presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $34.79.

Comcast Price Performance

Shares of CMCSA stock opened at $24.76 on Monday. Comcast Corporation has a 1 year low of $24.53 and a 1 year high of $36.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The firm's 50 day moving average is $28.36 and its 200-day moving average is $28.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.87, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.71.

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The cable giant reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.06. Comcast had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 15.47%. The business had revenue of $31.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.09 earnings per share. Comcast's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Comcast Corporation will post 3.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Comcast Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Comcast's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.98%.

Comcast News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Comcast this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Comcast declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share, reinforcing its income appeal and signaling management confidence in cash flow. Comcast Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Comcast as one of the better-positioned names in a challenging cable industry, citing growing demand for high-speed internet and stronger media consumption as cord-cutting shifts the market toward broadband. 2 Stocks to Watch From a Challenging Cable Television Industry
• Positive Sentiment: Comcast continues expanding rural broadband access in Florida and Indiana through public-private partnerships, which supports long-term subscriber growth and reinforces the company’s core connectivity business. What Comcast (CMCSA)'s Dividend, Rural Broadband Push and Legal Settlement Means For Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: Comcast’s Sky unit is reportedly advancing talks to acquire ITV’s media and entertainment business, a deal that could be strategic but is still early and may require a performance-based payout structure. Comcast's Sky advances talks to acquire ITV unit with performance-based payout, sources say
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment remains weighed down by Comcast’s $117.5 million data-breach settlement, which keeps cybersecurity, legal liability, and reputation risks in focus. Comcast’s US$117.5m Breach Settlement Puts Data Security Risks In Focus
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage also notes Comcast hit a new 12-month low after an analyst downgrade, underscoring ongoing concern about growth, competition, and margin pressure. Comcast NASDAQ: CMCSA Reaches New 12-Month Low Following Analyst Downgrade

Comcast Company Profile

Comcast Corporation NASDAQ: CMCSA is a diversified global media and technology company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its principal operations are organized around Comcast Cable, which provides broadband internet, video, voice and wireless services to residential and business customers in the United States under the Xfinity and Comcast Business brands, and NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment group that develops, produces and distributes content across broadcast and cable networks, film, and streaming platforms.

NBCUniversal's assets include the NBC broadcast network, a portfolio of cable channels, Universal Pictures and other film and television production businesses, and the Peacock streaming service.

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