Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Sells 22,547 Shares of Vodafone Group PLC $VOD

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. has reduced its holdings in Vodafone Group PLC by 38.2%, now owning 36,493 shares valued at approximately $342,000.
• Several institutional investors, including ACR Alpine Capital Research LLC and D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc., have significantly increased their stakes in Vodafone Group, reflecting renewed interest in the company.
• Analyst ratings for Vodafone Group are mixed, with one upgrade to "hold" and others downgrading, indicating a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $136.00.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. trimmed its holdings in shares of Vodafone Group PLC (NASDAQ:VOD - Free Report) by 38.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,493 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 22,547 shares during the quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in Vodafone Group were worth $342,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in 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 worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,250 shares during the period. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Vodafone Group in the 1st quarter worth about $31,000. NBC Securities Inc. raised its position in Vodafone Group by 116,833.3% in the 1st quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 3,508 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 3,505 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Vodafone Group in the 1st quarter worth about $60,000. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its position in Vodafone Group by 509.7% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 6,829 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 5,709 shares during the period. 7.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vodafone Group Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ VOD traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $11.81. 2,882,394 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,595,996. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $11.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $10.14. Vodafone Group PLC has a one year low of $8.00 and a one year high of $12.06. The company has a market cap of $28.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.36, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.65.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VOD. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Vodafone Group from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $136.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Zacks Research raised shares of Vodafone Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Vodafone Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vodafone Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Vodafone Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. They issued an "equal weight" rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Reduce" 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.