Manchester United (NYSE:MANU) Shares Gap Down - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Manchester United's stock price gapped down from $16.41 to $15.65 before trading on Wednesday, with the latest price at $15.55.
• Wall Street analysts have upgraded Manchester United's rating from "sell" to "hold", with an average price target of $23.00.
• The company reported earnings of (\$0.04) per share for the last quarter, surpassing expectations of (\$0.06).

Manchester United Ltd. (NYSE:MANU - Get Free Report) shares gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $16.41, but opened at $15.65. Manchester United shares last traded at $15.55, with a volume of 245,929 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen raised Manchester United from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $23.00.

Manchester United Trading Down 0.6%

The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44. The company has a market capitalization of $2.58 billion, a P/E ratio of -60.92 and a beta of 0.69. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $15.63.

Manchester United (NYSE:MANU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 17th. The company reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by $0.02. Manchester United had a negative return on equity of 9.58% and a negative net margin of 4.92%.The company had revenue of $219.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $166.63 million. Manchester United has set its FY 2026 guidance at EPS. Analysts anticipate that Manchester United Ltd. will post -0.74 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MANU. Ariel Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Manchester United by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 9,024,434 shares of the company's stock worth $160,725,000 after acquiring an additional 449,105 shares during the period. Cooperman Leon G boosted its stake in shares of Manchester United by 9.1% during the 1st quarter. Cooperman Leon G now owns 2,839,737 shares of the company's stock worth $37,172,000 after acquiring an additional 238,032 shares during the period. Harvey Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Manchester United by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Harvey Partners LLC now owns 951,698 shares of the company's stock worth $16,950,000 after acquiring an additional 6,698 shares during the period. Lancaster Investment Management boosted its stake in Manchester United by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Lancaster Investment Management now owns 890,351 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,857,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Finally, Breach Inlet Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Manchester United by 28.6% in the 1st quarter. Breach Inlet Capital Management LLC now owns 854,946 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,191,000 after purchasing an additional 190,090 shares during the period. 23.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Manchester United Company Profile

Manchester United plc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a professional sports team in the United Kingdom. It operates Manchester United Football Club, a professional football club. The company develops marketing and sponsorship relationships with international and regional companies to leverage its brand.