Swedbank AB Increases Stock Position in NetEase, Inc. $NTES

Key Points

• Swedbank AB increased its stake in NetEase by 35.2%, buying an additional 50,000 shares to hold 192,100 shares valued at about $26.44 million per its latest 13F filing.
• NetEase raised its quarterly dividend to $1.16 (up from $0.57), equivalent to an annualized $4.64 and roughly a 4.0% yield with a 63.08% payout ratio.
• Analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $153.89 average target, while the stock recently traded near $117, implying analysts see significant upside despite some target trims.

Swedbank AB boosted its stake in NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES - Free Report) by 35.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 192,100 shares of the technology company's stock after purchasing an additional 50,000 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB's holdings in NetEase were worth $26,437,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of NTES. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in NetEase by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,297 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $919,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in NetEase during the first quarter valued at approximately $63,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in NetEase by 106.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 542 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in NetEase by 287.4% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 91,571 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $12,324,000 after acquiring an additional 67,934 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Walleye Capital LLC grew its position in NetEase by 670.9% during the second quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 5,265 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $709,000 after acquiring an additional 4,582 shares during the last quarter. 11.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NTES has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of NetEase from $135.00 to $132.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Nomura reduced their price target on shares of NetEase from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating on shares of NetEase in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $154.00 target price on shares of NetEase in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of NetEase in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $153.89.

NetEase Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NTES stock opened at $117.11 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $114.59 and a 200 day moving average of $128.38. NetEase, Inc. has a 52 week low of $103.22 and a 52 week high of $159.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.96, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.72.

NetEase Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $1.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This is a positive change from NetEase's previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. NetEase's payout ratio is 63.08%.

NetEase Company Profile

NetEase, Inc NASDAQ: NTES is a Chinese technology company headquartered in Hangzhou that develops and operates Internet services and products. Founded in 1997 by William Ding (Ding Lei), the company has grown from an early web portal and e-mail provider into a diversified online services group. William Ding has served as the company's founder and long-time leader, guiding its expansion into games, digital content and consumer services.

The company's primary business is interactive entertainment: NetEase Games designs, develops and publishes PC and mobile games for domestic and international audiences, offering a mix of self-developed franchises and titles published under licensing and strategic partnerships.

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