STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Hold" from the fifteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $31.26.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on STM shares. BNP Paribas started coverage on STMicroelectronics in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $28.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut STMicroelectronics from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Craig Hallum reduced their target price on shares of STMicroelectronics from $42.00 to $36.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Bank of America downgraded STMicroelectronics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research report on Monday, December 9th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 26.5% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 8,195,521 shares of the semiconductor producer's stock valued at $228,655,000 after buying an additional 1,719,257 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics by 674.2% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 1,396,700 shares of the semiconductor producer's stock valued at $41,524,000 after purchasing an additional 1,216,300 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd acquired a new position in shares of STMicroelectronics during the third quarter worth $7,642,000. Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics by 25.3% in the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 192,372 shares of the semiconductor producer's stock valued at $5,719,000 after purchasing an additional 38,874 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in STMicroelectronics during the 3rd quarter valued at $4,158,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.05% of the company's stock.

STMicroelectronics Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STM traded down $0.30 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $22.46. 6,684,697 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,889,511. STMicroelectronics has a twelve month low of $21.36 and a twelve month high of $49.05. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $24.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $27.30. The stock has a market cap of $20.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.53, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.51.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor producer reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.02. STMicroelectronics had a net margin of 11.74% and a return on equity of 8.92%. On average, research analysts forecast that STMicroelectronics will post 0.82 earnings per share for the current year.

STMicroelectronics Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be issued a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.60%. STMicroelectronics's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.67%.

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.