Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA) Sets New 52-Week Low Following Weak Earnings

Key Points

• Liberty Global shares hit a new 52-week low after the company reported weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings, with the stock falling to as low as $9.55.
• The company posted EPS of -$1.07, missing analyst estimates of -$0.48 by a wide margin, highlighting ongoing profitability pressure.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: the stock has a consensus Hold rating with an average target price of $16.02, even as one major analyst recently trimmed its price target.

Liberty Global Ltd (NASDAQ:LBTYA - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Friday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as low as $9.55 and last traded at $9.5730, with a volume of 2673544 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $10.29.

The company reported ($1.07) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.48) by ($0.59). Liberty Global had a negative return on equity of 47.65% and a negative net margin of 109.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on LBTYA shares. UBS Group dropped their target price on Liberty Global from $12.60 to $12.10 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings cut Liberty Global from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Pivotal Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Liberty Global in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Liberty Global from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $16.02.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director J David Wargo sold 55,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.54, for a total value of $634,700.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 53,876 shares of the company's stock, valued at $621,729.04. This trade represents a 50.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 4.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Liberty Global

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in LBTYA. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Liberty Global by 1,594.4% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 507,445 shares of the company's stock worth $5,653,000 after acquiring an additional 477,497 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its position in shares of Liberty Global by 44.2% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,754,981 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,690,000 after purchasing an additional 844,265 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. bought a new stake in shares of Liberty Global during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,518,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Liberty Global by 59.9% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 176,411 shares of the company's stock worth $2,022,000 after purchasing an additional 66,118 shares during the period. Finally, ACR Alpine Capital Research LLC raised its holdings in Liberty Global by 9.7% in the first quarter. ACR Alpine Capital Research LLC now owns 23,644,817 shares of the company's stock worth $285,866,000 after purchasing an additional 2,097,847 shares in the last quarter. 37.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Liberty Global Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market cap of $3.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -0.60 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $11.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $11.66.

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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