Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LILAK) Stock Jumps 4.9% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Liberty Global shares rose 4.9% to about $9.80, on trading volume roughly 29% below its average.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: the consensus rating is “Reduce,” with a $9 average price target; two analysts rate the stock Hold and one rates it Sell.
• The company’s latest quarter missed estimates, reporting a loss of $0.42 per share versus an expected loss of $0.01 and revenue of $1.12 billion versus $1.14 billion expected. Insiders have bought 713,505 shares worth about $12.7 million over the past 90 days.

Liberty Global PLC (NASDAQ:LILAK - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 4.9% during trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as high as $9.78 and last traded at $9.8010. Approximately 880,729 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 29% from the average session volume of 1,247,392 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.34.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on LILAK shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Liberty Global in a report on Thursday, October 15th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Liberty Global in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $9.00 target price for the company. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Liberty Global from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Liberty Global presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $9.00.

Liberty Global Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.57 and a beta of 0.75. The stock's fifty day moving average is $8.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.07.

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LILAK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported ($0.42) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.41). Liberty Global had a negative return on equity of 8.50% and a negative net margin of 3.86%. The company had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John C. Malone bought 21,013 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $8.98 per share, with a total value of $188,696.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,412,175 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,681,331.50. The trade was a 1.51% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Angoitia Alfonso De purchased 313,104 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $20.95 per share, for a total transaction of $6,559,528.80. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 476,190 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,976,180.50. This trade represents a 191.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 713,505 shares of company stock worth $12,720,801. Corporate insiders own 9.66% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Liberty Global

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LILAK. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Liberty Global by 377.3% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,136 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 2,479 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Liberty Global by 172.1% during the 3rd quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,521 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 2,227 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Liberty Global by 53.3% in the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 4,217 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,467 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Liberty Global by 50.8% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 4,604 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,550 shares during the period. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Liberty Global in the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.98% of the company's stock.

About Liberty Global

Liberty Global plc is an international telecommunications and media company that provides broadband, mobile, television and related digital services through operating companies and joint ventures. Its businesses serve customers in several European markets, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Its operations include Virgin Media O2 in the UK, a joint venture with Telefónica; VodafoneZiggo in the Netherlands, also a joint venture; and businesses such as Telenet in Belgium and Sunrise in Switzerland.

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