Telefónica (NYSE:TEF) Rating Lowered to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Telefónica (NYSE:TEF) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday.

Telefónica Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of Telefónica stock opened at $4.45 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $4.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $4.43. Telefónica has a 12-month low of $3.89 and a 12-month high of $4.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The stock has a market cap of $25.20 billion, a PE ratio of -17.10 and a beta of 0.68.

Telefónica Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 18th were given a dividend of $0.1576 per share. This represents a yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 18th. Telefónica’s dividend payout ratio is presently -84.62%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Telefónica by 8.8% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 308,396 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,499,000 after acquiring an additional 24,854 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Telefónica by 293.4% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 35,412 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $172,000 after acquiring an additional 26,410 shares during the period. Point72 Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in Telefónica by 274.0% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 316,566 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,539,000 after purchasing an additional 231,919 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Telefónica in the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Telefónica during the fourth quarter worth approximately $47,000. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Telefónica

Telefónica, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Europe and Latin America. The company offers mobile and related services and products, such as mobile voice, value added, mobile data and internet, wholesale, corporate, roaming, fixed wireless, and trunking and paging services.