Telefonica Brasil S.A. (NYSE:VIV) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Telefonica Brasil has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" from 11 brokerages, with an average 12-month price target of $14.08.
• The stock was up 1.5% and opened at $15.61; it has traded between $9.41 and $17.25 over the past 52 weeks.
• The company recently announced a dividend of $0.4562 per share, payable on July 21, with a 65.71% payout ratio.

Shares of Telefonica Brasil S.A. (NYSE:VIV - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the eleven brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $14.08.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on VIV shares. UBS Group downgraded Telefonica Brasil from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research raised Telefonica Brasil from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings raised Telefonica Brasil from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays set a $16.50 target price on Telefonica Brasil and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Telefonica Brasil from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, January 11th.

Telefonica Brasil Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:VIV opened at $15.61 on Friday. Telefonica Brasil has a 52-week low of $9.41 and a 52-week high of $17.25. The company has a market cap of $25.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.63. The stock's 50-day moving average is $16.00 and its 200-day moving average is $14.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.00.

Telefonica Brasil (NYSE:VIV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter. Telefonica Brasil had a return on equity of 9.15% and a net margin of 10.42%.The business had revenue of $2.83 billion for the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Telefonica Brasil will post 0.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Telefonica Brasil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 21st. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.4562 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. Telefonica Brasil's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.71%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Telefonica Brasil

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in Telefonica Brasil by 337.7% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 4,233 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 3,266 shares in the last quarter. Arax Advisory Partners boosted its holdings in Telefonica Brasil by 54.4% during the fourth quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 3,773 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,330 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Telefonica Brasil during the first quarter valued at approximately $52,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Telefonica Brasil by 214.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,766 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 3,248 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westfuller Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Telefonica Brasil during the third quarter valued at approximately $59,000. 5.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Telefonica Brasil

Telefônica Brasil SA, commonly marketed under the Vivo brand, is one of Brazil's largest telecommunications providers, offering a broad range of consumer and enterprise communications services. The company's core activities include mobile voice and data services, fixed-line telephony, broadband internet (including fiber-to-the-home), and pay-TV solutions. It also provides ICT and managed services for business customers, such as cloud, data center, connectivity, Internet of Things (IoT) and security solutions.

Vivo operates a nationwide network across Brazil and serves both individual consumers and corporate clients.

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