Vodafone Group (NASDAQ:VOD) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Share price crossed above its 200-day moving average: Vodafone traded as high as $15.67 and last at $15.51 after moving above the 200-day MA of $13.72 on volume of about 2.1 million shares.
• Analyst sentiment has improved with several upgrades (Weiss, Zacks, Berenberg, UBS), but the consensus remains a "Hold" with an average target price reported at $72.00.
• Institutional activity shows modest inflows (notable increases from AQR and others) and institutions own 7.84% of the stock; the company reports a quick ratio of 1.13, current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Vodafone Group PLC (NASDAQ:VOD - Get Free Report)'s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $13.72 and traded as high as $15.67. Vodafone Group shares last traded at $15.51, with a volume of 2,105,462 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VOD shares. Weiss Ratings raised Vodafone Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Zacks Research upgraded Vodafone Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Berenberg Bank raised Vodafone Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Vodafone Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $72.00.

Vodafone Group Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The company's 50 day moving average price is $15.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.72.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vodafone Group by 21.4% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 66,351 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $622,000 after acquiring an additional 11,703 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Vodafone Group by 1.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 296,581 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $2,779,000 after purchasing an additional 5,592 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in shares of Vodafone Group by 19.7% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 20,830 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $195,000 after purchasing an additional 3,435 shares during the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Vodafone Group by 13.4% during the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 19,278 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 2,285 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Vodafone Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $140,000. Institutional investors own 7.84% of the company's stock.

Vodafone Group Company Profile

Vodafone Group plc is a British multinational telecommunications company headquartered in London. It provides a wide range of communications services to consumer and enterprise customers, including mobile voice and data, fixed-line broadband, cable and pay-TV, and wholesale network services. The company also offers business-oriented solutions such as cloud and hosting, managed networks, unified communications, and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and platform services.

Vodafone operates through a combination of wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and partner arrangements across multiple countries, with a particularly large presence in Europe and in several African markets.

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