STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) Stock Rating Upgraded by Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on STM. Susquehanna cut their price target on STMicroelectronics from $33.00 to $28.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley raised STMicroelectronics from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on STMicroelectronics from $35.00 to $30.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 1st. TD Cowen downgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $32.00 to $25.00 in a report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research note on Monday, December 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $31.26.

STMicroelectronics Stock Down 2.3 %

Shares of STMicroelectronics stock traded down $0.65 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $27.58. 7,411,591 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,229,294. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 2.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.91 billion, a PE ratio of 16.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.51. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $24.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $26.87. STMicroelectronics has a 1-year low of $21.36 and a 1-year high of $49.05.

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

STMicroelectronics Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be paid a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.31%. STMicroelectronics's payout ratio is 18.67%.

Institutional Trading of STMicroelectronics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in STMicroelectronics during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Archer Investment Corp purchased a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics in the third quarter worth about $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of STMicroelectronics by 81.4% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,183 shares of the semiconductor producer's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 531 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in STMicroelectronics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in STMicroelectronics by 225.7% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,329 shares of the semiconductor producer's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 921 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 5.05% of the company's stock.

About STMicroelectronics

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.