Universal Display (NASDAQ:OLED) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Universal Display (NASDAQ:OLED) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of Universal Display from $165.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on shares of Universal Display from $220.00 to $200.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Universal Display from $234.00 to $203.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on Universal Display from $215.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Roth Mkm boosted their price objective on Universal Display from $207.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Universal Display currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $190.43.

Universal Display Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of Universal Display stock opened at $148.50 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.94, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $149.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $169.28. Universal Display has a 52 week low of $140.17 and a 52 week high of $237.00.

Universal Display (NASDAQ:OLED) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The semiconductor company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $162.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $152.75 million. Universal Display had a net margin of 34.29% and a return on equity of 15.51%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Universal Display will post 4.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Display Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.21%. This is an increase from Universal Display’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. Universal Display’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.71%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Display

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Universal Display by 36.9% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 133,042 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $19,451,000 after purchasing an additional 35,849 shares in the last quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV boosted its position in Universal Display by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 13,559 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,982,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Universal Display by 171.2% during the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,206 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $469,000 after purchasing an additional 2,024 shares during the period. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. raised its stake in Universal Display by 90.2% during the 4th quarter. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. now owns 120,000 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $17,544,000 after acquiring an additional 56,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Universal Display by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 2,536,513 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $370,838,000 after acquiring an additional 69,043 shares in the last quarter. 78.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Display Company Profile

Universal Display Corporation engages in the research, development, and commercialization of organic light emitting diode (OLED) technologies and materials for use in display and solid-state lighting applications in the United States and internationally. The company offers PHOLED technologies and materials for displays and lighting products under the UniversalPHOLED brand.