Telefônica Brasil S.A. (NYSE:VIV) Short Interest Update

Telefônica Brasil S.A. (NYSE:VIV - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,880,000 shares, an increase of 34.0% from the February 28th total of 2,150,000 shares. Currently, 0.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 915,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.1 days.

Telefônica Brasil Price Performance

Shares of Telefônica Brasil stock traded down $0.56 during trading on Friday, hitting $8.75. 1,200,088 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 841,792. Telefônica Brasil has a fifty-two week low of $7.47 and a fifty-two week high of $10.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $8.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.60.

Telefônica Brasil (NYSE:VIV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.01. Telefônica Brasil had a return on equity of 7.77% and a net margin of 9.78%. The company had revenue of $2.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.39 billion. On average, equities analysts expect that Telefônica Brasil will post 0.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Telefônica Brasil Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th were issued a $0.0215 dividend. This is a positive change from Telefônica Brasil's previous dividend of $0.02. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 25th. Telefônica Brasil's dividend payout ratio is 45.90%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Telefônica Brasil from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Telefônica Brasil from $10.60 to $9.20 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. New Street Research cut Telefônica Brasil from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. Barclays upgraded Telefônica Brasil from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $11.80 to $11.50 in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Scotiabank cut their price target on Telefônica Brasil from $10.40 to $9.20 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Telefônica Brasil has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $9.97.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Telefônica Brasil

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Telefônica Brasil by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 415,299 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock worth $3,136,000 after acquiring an additional 12,680 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Telefônica Brasil by 18.0% in the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 26,686 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $201,000 after purchasing an additional 4,063 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its position in shares of Telefônica Brasil by 394.2% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 240,200 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $1,814,000 after purchasing an additional 191,600 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its position in Telefônica Brasil by 151.9% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 686,792 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock worth $5,185,000 after buying an additional 414,193 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Telefônica Brasil during the fourth quarter worth about $379,000. 5.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Telefônica Brasil Company Profile

Telefônica Brasil SA, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mobile telecommunications company in Brazil. Its fixed line services portfolio includes local, domestic long-distance, and international long-distance calls; and mobile portfolio comprises voice and broadband internet access through 3G, 4G, 4.5G, and 5G, as well as mobile value-added and wireless roaming services.