Infosys (NYSE:INFY) Sees Large Volume Increase - Still a Buy?

Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 3,031,081 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 57% from the previous session's volume of 7,006,041 shares.The stock last traded at $21.90 and had previously closed at $22.89.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on INFY. HSBC upgraded Infosys from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Infosys in a research note on Friday. Investec cut shares of Infosys from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Infosys from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Infosys from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $20.85.

Infosys Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $22.54 and a 200-day moving average of $22.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $87.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.13, a P/E/G ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.00.

Infosys (NYSE:INFY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The technology company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.19. Infosys had a return on equity of 31.43% and a net margin of 17.15%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.18 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Infosys Limited will post 0.74 EPS for the current year.

Infosys Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 1st were given a dividend of $0.2126 per share. This is a boost from Infosys's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.20. This represents a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 29th. Infosys's payout ratio is presently 53.85%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Infosys

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Infosys in the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of Infosys in the fourth quarter worth about $52,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Infosys in the third quarter valued at about $57,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its stake in Infosys by 25.3% during the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 3,795 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 766 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Infosys by 34.3% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,936 shares of the technology company's stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 1,005 shares during the last quarter. 16.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Infosys

Infosys Ltd. is a digital services and consulting company, which engages in the provision of end-to-end business solutions. It operates through the following segments: Financial Services, Retail, Communication, Energy, Utilities, Resources, and Services, Manufacturing, Hi-Tech, Life Sciences, and All Other.