iA Global Asset Management Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Comcast Corporation $CMCSA

Key Points

• iA Global Asset Management increased its Comcast stake by 12% in the fourth quarter, owning 796,444 shares valued at about $23.8 million. Overall, institutional investors still hold a large majority of Comcast, at 84.32% of shares.
• Comcast reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.79 versus $0.73 expected and revenue of $31.46 billion versus $30.42 billion forecast. Revenue rose 5.3% year over year, and analysts now expect full-year EPS of 3.58.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share, or $1.32 annually, for a 5.3% yield. However, the stock was down 1.6% and near its 52-week low, while analysts currently rate it a consensus “Hold.”

iA Global Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA - Free Report) by 12.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 796,444 shares of the cable giant's stock after buying an additional 85,522 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Comcast were worth $23,806,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Comcast by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 369,311,219 shares of the cable giant's stock worth $11,038,712,000 after purchasing an additional 2,160,829 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Comcast by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 7,536,937 shares of the cable giant's stock valued at $236,810,000 after purchasing an additional 665,635 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Comcast by 75.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 340,764 shares of the cable giant's stock valued at $10,707,000 after purchasing an additional 146,339 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Comcast by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd now owns 11,327,445 shares of the cable giant's stock valued at $355,908,000 after purchasing an additional 113,461 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. increased its holdings in shares of Comcast by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 952,154 shares of the cable giant's stock valued at $29,917,000 after purchasing an additional 32,262 shares in the last quarter. 84.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Comcast Stock Down 1.6%

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

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $31.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.42 billion. Comcast had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 15.47%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.09 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Comcast Corporation will post 3.58 EPS for the current year.

Comcast Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.3%. Comcast's dividend payout ratio is 25.98%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on CMCSA shares. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Comcast from $40.00 to $39.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Comcast from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Comcast from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Comcast from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $34.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Comcast to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $34.79.

Comcast News Roundup

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

About Comcast

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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