Telefónica, S.A. (NYSE:TEF) Given Average Recommendation of "Reduce" by Brokerages

Telefónica, S.A. (NYSE:TEF - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Reduce" from the five brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company.

Several analysts have recently commented on TEF shares. StockNews.com raised Telefónica from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Hsbc Global Res raised Telefónica to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, HSBC upgraded shares of Telefónica from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd.

Telefónica Stock Performance

Shares of Telefónica stock traded down $0.05 on Friday, reaching $3.95. 734,699 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 725,266. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.40 billion, a PE ratio of -15.19 and a beta of 0.68. Telefónica has a 1-year low of $3.82 and a 1-year high of $4.93. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $4.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33.

Telefónica Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 18th were paid a $0.1576 dividend. This represents a yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 18th. Telefónica's payout ratio is currently -84.62%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Telefónica

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of TEF. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Telefónica by 18.3% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 18,975 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 2,936 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Telefónica by 293.4% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 35,412 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $172,000 after acquiring an additional 26,410 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Telefónica by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 64,522 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 2,332 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Telefónica in the 3rd quarter valued at about $121,000. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Telefónica during the 3rd quarter worth about $45,000. 1.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Telefónica Company Profile

Telefónica, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Europe and Latin America. The company offers mobile and related services and products, such as mobile voice, value added, mobile data and internet, wholesale, corporate, roaming, fixed wireless, and trunking and paging services.