Comcast Co. (NASDAQ:CMCSA) Shares Sold by Sterling Investment Management LLC

Sterling Investment Management LLC trimmed its holdings in Comcast Co. (NASDAQ:CMCSA) by 3.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 62,367 shares of the cable giant’s stock after selling 1,931 shares during the quarter. Comcast comprises approximately 2.0% of Sterling Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Sterling Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Comcast were worth $2,735,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Shepherd Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Comcast by 1.7% in the second quarter. Shepherd Financial Partners LLC now owns 53,491 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $2,223,000 after acquiring an additional 909 shares during the period. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Comcast during the third quarter worth $8,868,000. CIC Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Comcast by 42.8% during the third quarter. CIC Wealth LLC now owns 8,800 shares of the cable giant’s stock worth $390,000 after purchasing an additional 2,638 shares during the period. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Comcast during the third quarter worth $90,000. Finally, Camarda Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Comcast during the second quarter worth $1,381,000. 84.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Comcast Price Performance

CMCSA stock opened at $43.07 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Comcast Co. has a 52-week low of $36.35 and a 52-week high of $47.46. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $43.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.22. The company has a market capitalization of $171.07 billion, a PE ratio of 11.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.98.

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The cable giant reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.04. Comcast had a return on equity of 19.75% and a net margin of 12.66%. The business had revenue of $31.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.41 billion. Analysts predict that Comcast Co. will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Comcast Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 2nd. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.88%. This is a positive change from Comcast’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Comcast’s payout ratio is currently 31.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on CMCSA shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Comcast from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. StockNews.com cut Comcast from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. Citigroup raised their price target on Comcast from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Comcast in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Pivotal Research lifted their price objective on Comcast from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Comcast presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $49.68.

Insider Activity at Comcast

In other Comcast news, President Michael J. Cavanagh sold 114,749 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.10, for a total transaction of $5,289,928.90. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.18% of the company’s stock.

About Comcast

Comcast Corporation operates as a media and technology company worldwide. It operates through Residential Connectivity & Platforms, Business Services Connectivity, Media, Studios, and Theme Parks segments. The Residential Connectivity & Platforms segment provides residential broadband and wireless connectivity services, residential and business video services, sky-branded entertainment television networks, and advertising.