Telefonica Brasil S.A. (NYSE:VIV) Receives Average Recommendation of "Reduce" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is cautious: Telefonica Brasil has an average brokerage rating of "Reduce" across 11 firms, with four sell ratings, six hold ratings, and one buy. The average 1-year price target is $14.16.
• Recent earnings were mixed: The company reported $0.15 EPS, missing consensus expectations by $0.02, while revenue came in at $2.98 billion and matched estimates. Analysts currently expect full-year EPS of 0.97.
• Dividend and stock details: Telefonica Brasil recently paid a dividend of $0.4562 per share, with a payout ratio of 37.84%. The stock opened at $13.69 and has traded between $10.82 and $17.25 over the past 52 weeks.

Telefonica Brasil S.A. (NYSE:VIV - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Reduce" from the eleven ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $14.16.

VIV has been the topic of several research reports. New Street Research upgraded shares of Telefonica Brasil from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Telefonica Brasil in a research report on Monday, May 18th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $13.90 target price for the company. Zacks Research downgraded Telefonica Brasil from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Bradesco Corretora cut Telefonica Brasil to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Barclays set a $15.50 price objective on Telefonica Brasil and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Telefonica Brasil

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VIV. Arax Advisory Partners lifted its position in Telefonica Brasil by 54.4% in the 4th quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 3,773 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 1,330 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in Telefonica Brasil by 337.7% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 4,233 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 3,266 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Telefonica Brasil by 214.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,766 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 3,248 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Telefonica Brasil in the first quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Telefonica Brasil in the first quarter valued at approximately $121,000. 5.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Telefonica Brasil Price Performance

Telefonica Brasil stock opened at $13.69 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.50, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.56. Telefonica Brasil has a 52-week low of $10.82 and a 52-week high of $17.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $13.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.54.

Telefonica Brasil (NYSE:VIV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.17 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.98 billion. Telefonica Brasil had a net margin of 10.49% and a return on equity of 9.32%. On average, equities analysts predict that Telefonica Brasil will post 0.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Telefonica Brasil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.4562 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 22nd. Telefonica Brasil's payout ratio is 37.84%.

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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