2,464,361 Comcast Corporation $CMCSA Shares Acquired by Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.

Key Points

• Robeco Institutional Asset Management increased its Comcast stake by 34.4%, purchasing 2.46 million additional shares to own 9.63 million shares valued at approximately $209.6 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 84.32% of Comcast.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: 11 analysts rate Comcast a Buy, 12 Hold, and six Sell, producing a consensus Hold rating and $30.81 target price.
• Comcast’s shares opened at $22.36, while the company offers a $0.33 quarterly dividend, or a 5.9% yield. Investors are focused on upcoming earnings amid broadband weakness, softer theme-park demand, and increased promotional pressure.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its holdings in Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA - Free Report) by 34.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,634,612 shares of the cable giant's stock after purchasing an additional 2,464,361 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned about 0.27% of Comcast worth $209,649,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC lifted its stake in shares of Comcast by 16.6% during the third quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 2,549,714 shares of the cable giant's stock worth $55,482,000 after buying an additional 363,552 shares during the period. Saudi Central Bank grew its holdings in shares of Comcast by 87.2% during the second quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 251,190 shares of the cable giant's stock valued at $6,167,000 after buying an additional 117,038 shares during the last quarter. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in shares of Comcast in the second quarter valued at about $137,515,000. Inceptionr LLC purchased a new stake in Comcast in the first quarter valued at approximately $660,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Comcast by 10.2% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,864,921 shares of the cable giant's stock valued at $1,173,232,000 after buying an additional 3,783,234 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.32% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on CMCSA. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Comcast from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $34.00 to $32.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $31.00 price objective on shares of Comcast in a report on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a "market perform" rating and issued a $23.00 price objective on shares of Comcast in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Seaport Research Partners raised Comcast from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on Comcast from $25.00 to $22.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $30.81.

Comcast News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Comcast this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed its Buy rating and set a $31 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. Comcast's Buy Rating Reiterated at Rosenblatt Securities
• Positive Sentiment: Comcast’s low valuation and roughly 6.3% dividend yield are attracting value investors; billionaire investor David Einhorn reportedly added a new CMCSA position. Comcast Stock Has an Attractive Valuation and Offers a Dividend Yield of 6.32%
• Positive Sentiment: Investors may be positioning for another earnings beat, with streaming and studio businesses expected to provide support ahead of the October 22 third-quarter report. Comcast Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect third-quarter earnings of approximately $0.98 per share, one cent below the estimate from 30 days earlier. Key metrics, including broadband, wireless, streaming and theme-park performance, will likely determine the stock’s next move. Comcast Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Put-option volume surged to 77,125 contracts, about 122% above normal, indicating increased short-term hedging or bearish speculation around the earnings event.
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary argues that Comcast needs a turnaround while customers increasingly expect promotional offers, potentially pressuring revenue and profitability. Broadband weakness, softer theme-park demand and higher spending remain additional risks. Comcast: Wall Street Wants a Turnaround, Customers Want More Freebies

Comcast Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CMCSA opened at $22.36 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.24, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.68. Comcast Corporation has a 12 month low of $20.48 and a 12 month high of $32.85. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $24.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $24.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The cable giant reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.07. Comcast had a net margin of 8.97% and a return on equity of 14.77%. The firm had revenue of $29.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $29.24 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.25 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Comcast Corporation will post 3.49 EPS for the current year.

Comcast Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 7th. Comcast's dividend payout ratio is presently 42.72%.

About Comcast

Comcast Corporation is a global media and communications company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1963 as American Cable Systems, the company grew through the expansion of cable television and broadband services and adopted the Comcast name in 1969.

Through its Connectivity & Platforms businesses, Comcast provides residential and business customers with broadband internet, video, voice, mobile and related services. Its Xfinity brand offers internet, television, streaming and wireless products in the United States, while Comcast Business serves commercial and enterprise customers with connectivity, communications and technology solutions.

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