Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• EPS beat: Liberty Global reported quarterly EPS of $0.96, topping the consensus of ($0.35) by $1.31 while reporting revenue of $1.27 billion, but it still showed a negative net margin (146.30%) and negative ROE (-58.32%).
• Shares jumped to $11.96 on heavy volume (4.66M vs. avg. 2.05M); the company has a market cap of $4.01B, a negative P/E (−0.57), a 12‑month range of $9.02–$13.52, and 50/200‑day moving averages of $12.29/$11.46.
• Institutional buying increased (notably Royal Bank of Canada, Millennium, Goldman Sachs), and analysts hold a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $14.40 (UBS raised its target to $12.60, neutral).

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA - Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Friday. The company reported $0.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.35) by $1.31, Zacks reports. Liberty Global had a negative net margin of 146.30% and a negative return on equity of 58.32%. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion.

Liberty Global Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LBTYA traded up $0.38 on Friday, hitting $11.96. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,660,966 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,053,871. Liberty Global has a 12-month low of $9.02 and a 12-month high of $13.52. The company has a market capitalization of $4.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.57 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.08. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $12.29 and a 200-day moving average of $11.46.

Institutional Trading of Liberty Global

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 801.7% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 120,200 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,383,000 after buying an additional 106,870 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Liberty Global during the first quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 197.8% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,520,781 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,504,000 after buying an additional 1,010,118 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 27.8% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 451,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,201,000 after buying an additional 98,182 shares during the period. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Liberty Global during the second quarter valued at approximately $100,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 37.20% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Liberty Global from $12.00 to $12.60 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Zacks Research raised shares of Liberty Global from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Liberty Global in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Liberty Global currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.40.

About Liberty Global

Liberty Global plc operates as a leading international telecommunications and television company, offering a wide array of broadband internet, digital cable television, fixed-line telephony and mobile services. Through its extensive fiber and hybrid-fiber coaxial networks, the company delivers high-speed internet connectivity, video on demand and interactive television platforms to residential and business customers. Its service portfolio includes digital voice, managed Wi-Fi solutions, home security and converged connectivity bundles designed to meet evolving consumer and enterprise demands.

The company's footprint spans key European markets, including the United Kingdom and Ireland under the Virgin Media brand, the Netherlands through Ziggo, Belgium via Telenet, and operations in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Poland and Luxembourg.

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