Telefônica Brasil (NYSE:VIV) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at StockNews.com

Telefônica Brasil (NYSE:VIV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on VIV. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Telefônica Brasil from $9.20 to $10.30 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on shares of Telefônica Brasil from $20.80 to $18.40 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Barclays upgraded Telefônica Brasil from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $23.60 to $23.00 in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $17.23.

Telefônica Brasil Stock Performance

Telefônica Brasil stock traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $9.85. The stock had a trading volume of 68,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 836,085. Telefônica Brasil has a fifty-two week low of $7.47 and a fifty-two week high of $10.41. The company has a market cap of $16.28 billion, a PE ratio of 15.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a 50-day moving average of $14.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Telefônica Brasil (NYSE:VIV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.39 billion. Telefônica Brasil had a net margin of 9.78% and a return on equity of 7.77%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Telefônica Brasil will post 0.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Telefônica Brasil

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its stake in Telefônica Brasil by 2.8% in the first quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 15,613,608 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $136,151,000 after acquiring an additional 420,973 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in shares of Telefônica Brasil by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,571,650 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock worth $19,416,000 after purchasing an additional 114,266 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of Telefônica Brasil by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,078,200 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock worth $15,690,000 after purchasing an additional 78,200 shares during the period. Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of Telefônica Brasil by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,275,565 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock worth $9,630,000 after purchasing an additional 31,820 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Telefônica Brasil by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,059,679 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $8,001,000 after purchasing an additional 9,230 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.16% of the company's stock.

Telefônica Brasil Company Profile

Telefônica Brasil SA, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mobile telecommunications company in Brazil. Its fixed line services portfolio includes local, domestic long-distance, and international long-distance calls; and mobile portfolio comprises voice and broadband internet access through 3G, 4G, 4.5G, and 5G, as well as mobile value-added and wireless roaming services.