LATAM Airlines Group (NYSE:LTM) Stock Price Up 1.3% - Should You Buy?

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (NYSE:LTM - Get Free Report)'s stock price shot up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $40.72 and last traded at $40.60. 959,642 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 106% from the average session volume of 465,732 shares. The stock had previously closed at $40.09.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of LATAM Airlines Group from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $38.00.

LATAM Airlines Group Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $12.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.73, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 3.58. The stock's fifty day moving average is $36.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $32.21.

LATAM Airlines Group (NYSE:LTM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The transportation company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.57. The company had revenue of $3.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.39 billion. LATAM Airlines Group had a return on equity of 148.44% and a net margin of 8.25%. Analysts expect that LATAM Airlines Group S.A. will post 3.37 EPS for the current year.

LATAM Airlines Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a -- dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 14th were issued a dividend of $0.6104 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.5%. This is an increase from LATAM Airlines Group's previous -- dividend of $0.09. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 14th. LATAM Airlines Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 17.98%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LATAM Airlines Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in LATAM Airlines Group by 44.9% during the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,949 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 604 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of LATAM Airlines Group by 113.8% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 3,194 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 1,700 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of LATAM Airlines Group by 17.9% during the fourth quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 12,355 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $341,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of LATAM Airlines Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $182,000. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of LATAM Airlines Group by 50.4% in the 4th quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 20,403 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $563,000 after acquiring an additional 6,840 shares in the last quarter.

LATAM Airlines Group Company Profile

LATAM Airlines Group SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides passenger and cargo air transportation services in Peru, Argentina, the United States, Europe, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, the Asia Pacific, and rest of Latin America. The company operates in two segments, Air Transportation; and Multiplus Coalition and Loyalty Program.