Vodafone Group PLC (NASDAQ:VOD) Shares Sold by LPL Financial LLC

Key Points

• LPL Financial LLC has reduced its stake in Vodafone Group PLC by 12.2%, selling 81,746 shares and leaving it with 589,039 shares valued at approximately $5.5 million.
• Several other investors have made significant adjustments to their holdings in Vodafone during the fourth quarter, including Geode Capital Management, which increased its position by 39.7%.
• Vodafone Group recently declared a semi-annual dividend of $0.2355 per share, with a dividend payout ratio of 42.98%.

LPL Financial LLC cut its stake in Vodafone Group PLC (NASDAQ:VOD - Free Report) by 12.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 589,039 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 81,746 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC's holdings in Vodafone Group were worth $5,519,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VOD. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vodafone Group by 65.5% in the 1st quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 3,159 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,250 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of Vodafone Group by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 28,435 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $265,000 after acquiring an additional 1,332 shares in the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vodafone Group by 11.2% in the 1st quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,531 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 1,364 shares in the last quarter. Cahill Financial Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vodafone Group by 8.6% in the 4th quarter. Cahill Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 20,395 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $173,000 after acquiring an additional 1,611 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vodafone Group by 17.8% in the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 10,819 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $92,000 after acquiring an additional 1,631 shares in the last quarter. 7.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vodafone Group Price Performance

VOD traded up $0.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $11.67. 3,318,123 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,787,670. The company has a market cap of $28.32 billion, a PE ratio of 10.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.62. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $10.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $9.78. Vodafone Group PLC has a 1 year low of $8.00 and a 1 year high of $11.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

Vodafone Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 6th were issued a $0.2355 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 6th. This represents a dividend yield of 660.0%. Vodafone Group's payout ratio is currently 42.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VOD. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vodafone Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Berenberg Bank upgraded Vodafone Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an "underweight" rating on shares of Vodafone Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Vodafone Group from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $136.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on Vodafone Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. They issued an "equal weight" rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $136.00.

About Vodafone Group

Vodafone Group Public Limited Company provides telecommunication services in Europe and internationally. It offers mobile connectivity services comprising end-to-end services for mobile voice and data, messaging, device management, BYOx, and telecoms management, as well as professional and consulting services; and fixed line connectivity, such as fixed voice and data, broadband, software-defined networks, managed WAN, LAN, ethernet, and satellite; and financial services, as well as business and merchant services.