STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) Upgraded at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

STM has been the topic of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research report on Monday, December 9th. TD Cowen lowered shares of STMicroelectronics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $32.00 to $25.00 in a report on Monday, January 13th. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of 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 shares of STMicroelectronics from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Bank of America cut STMicroelectronics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $31.26.

STMicroelectronics Price Performance

STM stock opened at $27.58 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $24.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.85. The firm has a market cap of $24.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.51. The company has a quick ratio of 2.37, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. STMicroelectronics has a 12 month low of $21.36 and a 12 month high of $49.05.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor producer reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.02. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 8.92% and a net margin of 11.74%. On average, analysts anticipate that STMicroelectronics will post 0.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STMicroelectronics Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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 of this dividend is Tuesday, March 25th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.31%. STMicroelectronics’s payout ratio is 21.69%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On STMicroelectronics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in STMicroelectronics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics during the third quarter worth $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of STMicroelectronics by 81.4% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,183 shares of the semiconductor producer’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 531 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in STMicroelectronics during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in STMicroelectronics by 225.7% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,329 shares of the semiconductor producer’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 921 shares during the period. 5.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.