STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $50.75.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on STM shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. HSBC started coverage on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research report on Monday, April 8th. Finally, Craig Hallum cut their price target on shares of STMicroelectronics from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 25th.

STMicroelectronics Stock Performance

STMicroelectronics stock opened at $39.59 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. STMicroelectronics has a 1 year low of $37.21 and a 1 year high of $55.85. The company has a market cap of $35.74 billion, a PE ratio of 8.88, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.69. The company’s 50-day moving average is $44.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.68.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The semiconductor producer reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.19. STMicroelectronics had a net margin of 24.36% and a return on equity of 27.70%. The company had revenue of $4.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.08 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that STMicroelectronics will post 3.02 earnings per share for the current year.

STMicroelectronics Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 25th will be given a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.91%. This is a boost from STMicroelectronics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 25th. STMicroelectronics’s payout ratio is 4.48%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On STMicroelectronics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of STM. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 448.6% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,214,361 shares of the semiconductor producer’s stock worth $118,169,000 after buying an additional 1,810,709 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in STMicroelectronics by 92.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,830,732 shares of the semiconductor producer’s stock valued at $97,926,000 after purchasing an additional 879,856 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in STMicroelectronics in the first quarter valued at about $46,169,000. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in STMicroelectronics by 36.6% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,005,136 shares of the semiconductor producer’s stock valued at $129,702,000 after purchasing an additional 805,136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its stake in STMicroelectronics by 209.4% in the second quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 789,204 shares of the semiconductor producer’s stock valued at $39,453,000 after purchasing an additional 534,160 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.05% of the company’s stock.

STMicroelectronics Company Profile

STMicroelectronics N.V., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Automotive and Discrete Group; Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group; and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segments.