Lazard Asset Management LLC Sells 210,397 Shares of Uniti Group Inc. $UNIT

Key Points

• Lazard Asset Management cut its Uniti Group stake by 38.4%, selling 210,397 shares and retaining 337,197 shares worth approximately $3.16 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.51% of the company.
• Uniti’s latest quarterly revenue of $909.7 million exceeded expectations, but its $0.68-per-share loss significantly missed estimates. Analysts expect a full-year loss of $1.65 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $10.92, while Uniti shares opened at $9.72 and have recently traded between $5.30 and $12.94.

Lazard Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in Uniti Group Inc. (NASDAQ:UNIT - Free Report) by 38.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 337,197 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 210,397 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.14% of Uniti Group worth $3,163,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC grew its stake in Uniti Group by 26.9% during the first quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC now owns 505,246 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $4,739,000 after buying an additional 107,000 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in Uniti Group by 135.6% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 188,432 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,767,000 after purchasing an additional 108,438 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Uniti Group in the 1st quarter valued at $4,203,000. KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in shares of Uniti Group in the 1st quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Uniti Group in the 1st quarter valued at $100,000. Institutional investors own 87.51% of the company's stock.

Uniti Group Stock Up 4.6%

Shares of UNIT stock opened at $9.72 on Friday. Uniti Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $5.30 and a twelve month high of $12.94. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $11.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.40.

Uniti Group (NASDAQ:UNIT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.68) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.45) by ($0.23). Uniti Group had a net margin of 28.68% and a negative return on equity of 133.07%. The firm had revenue of $909.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $884.82 million. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Uniti Group Inc. will post -1.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on UNIT. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Uniti Group from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Uniti Group from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Barclays boosted their target price on Uniti Group from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Uniti Group from $6.50 to $7.50 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, UBS Group set a $12.00 price target on shares of Uniti Group in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $10.92.

Key Uniti Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Uniti Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue exceeded expectations: Uniti reported second-quarter revenue of $909.7 million, above the $884.8 million consensus estimate. The company also delivered $357.1 million in adjusted EBITDA. Uniti Group earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Fiber infrastructure bookings reached a record level: The bookings momentum may signal stronger demand and support Uniti’s long-term growth prospects. Management also reaffirmed full-year 2026 revenue guidance of approximately $3.6 billion to $3.7 billion. Uniti Group second-quarter 2026 results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain divided: TD Cowen maintained a “buy” rating, while JPMorgan moved to “neutral.” Both firms reduced their price targets from $12 to $11, but the new targets still imply approximately 13% upside from the referenced share price. Benzinga analyst ratings
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly losses were substantially worse than expected: Uniti reported a loss of $0.68 per share, compared with the consensus estimate of a $0.43 loss and a $0.04 loss in the prior-year quarter. The company also reported a $155.9 million net loss, which may be pressuring the stock despite the revenue beat. Uniti Group reports second-quarter loss

Uniti Group Company Profile

Uniti Group Inc is a real estate investment trust that owns, operates and acquires communications infrastructure assets across the United States. Established in September 2015 through a spin-off from Windstream Holdings, Uniti Group focuses on leasing fiber, small cell networks, cell towers and related infrastructure to service providers, wireless carriers and other enterprises requiring high-capacity connectivity. The company's assets are designed to support the growing data demands of residential, business and governmental customers, with an emphasis on long-term contractual lease arrangements.

Uniti's portfolio encompasses an extensive fiber network that spans metropolitan and rural markets, as well as a portfolio of wireless towers and small cell nodes that facilitate mobile network densification and help carriers deploy 5G services.

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