Telefonica SA (NYSE:TEF) Given Consensus Rating of "Strong Sell" by Analysts

Key Points

• Telefonica has a “Strong Sell” consensus rating: Four of six analysts rate the stock a sell, while two recommend holding it. The average 12-month price target is $4.015, only modestly above its $3.81 opening price.
• New Street Research recently downgraded Telefonica from “reduce” to “sell,” reinforcing the predominantly negative analyst outlook.
• Several institutional investors increased their positions, including Goldman Sachs, Royal Bank of Canada and First Trust Advisors, but institutions collectively own only 1.14% of the stock.

Shares of Telefonica SA (NYSE:TEF - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Strong Sell" by the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $4.0150.

Separately, New Street Research lowered Telefonica from a "reduce" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Telefonica

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Telefonica by 20.6% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,243,236 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $29,093,000 after acquiring an additional 1,065,861 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Telefonica by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,631,723 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $10,658,000 after purchasing an additional 270,798 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Telefonica by 1,561.8% in the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 1,569,148 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $6,355,000 after purchasing an additional 1,474,721 shares during the period. Carrera Capital Advisors lifted its position in shares of Telefonica by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Carrera Capital Advisors now owns 1,138,086 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $4,806,000 after purchasing an additional 69,996 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Telefonica by 20.8% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,113,624 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,510,000 after purchasing an additional 191,808 shares during the last quarter. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Telefonica Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE TEF opened at $3.81 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.84. Telefonica has a 52-week low of $3.80 and a 52-week high of $5.72. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $3.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3.81. The stock has a market cap of $21.60 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.29.

Telefonica Company Profile

Telefónica, SA is a Spanish multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Madrid. Founded in 1924 as Compañía Telefónica Nacional de España, it has grown into one of the world's largest telecommunications groups. Telefónica provides a broad range of communications services to residential and business customers, including mobile and fixed-line telephony, broadband internet, and pay-TV. The company also develops and sells network infrastructure and related services to support connectivity at scale.

Beyond traditional voice and data services, Telefónica has expanded into digital and IT services aimed at enterprise customers and public-sector clients.

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