Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Hold Rating

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Liberty Global from "strong sell" to "hold," aligning with a consensus "Hold" rating and an average analyst price target of $14.40.
• Quarterly results revealed a large EPS miss—($8.60) versus ($0.46) expected—although revenue of $1.23B slightly exceeded estimates; the company reported negative net margin and return on equity.
• Several institutional investors (e.g., ACR Alpine, AQR, Rubric, Oaktree, Dimensional) have increased positions, with institutions owning about 37.2% of the stock; shares trade near $11.52 with a market cap around $3.9B.

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on LBTYA. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Liberty Global from $12.00 to $12.60 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Liberty Global in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Liberty Global presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.40.

Liberty Global Stock Down 0.8%

Liberty Global stock opened at $11.52 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.08. Liberty Global has a 52-week low of $9.02 and a 52-week high of $13.52. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $12.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.46. The firm has a market cap of $3.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.55 and a beta of 1.01.

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported ($8.60) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.46) by ($8.14). Liberty Global had a negative return on equity of 58.32% and a negative net margin of 146.30%.The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.21 billion. Equities analysts predict that Liberty Global will post -1.44 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Liberty Global

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. ACR Alpine Capital Research LLC increased its stake in Liberty Global by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. ACR Alpine Capital Research LLC now owns 21,546,970 shares of the company's stock valued at $240,033,000 after purchasing an additional 309,230 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 75.0% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 13,423,957 shares of the company's stock worth $149,543,000 after acquiring an additional 5,751,520 shares in the last quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 29.3% in the 4th quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 10,018,432 shares of the company's stock worth $111,605,000 after acquiring an additional 2,268,065 shares in the last quarter. Oaktree Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Liberty Global by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Oaktree Capital Management LP now owns 8,551,191 shares of the company's stock worth $97,997,000 after buying an additional 339,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Liberty Global by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 8,310,517 shares of the company's stock worth $92,581,000 after buying an additional 200,348 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 37.20% of the company's stock.

Liberty Global Company Profile

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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