Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LILAK) Hits New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Liberty Global PLC (NASDAQ:LILAK)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $4.76 and last traded at $5.30, with a volume of 5054740 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $4.79.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Liberty Global from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Liberty Global in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.20.

Liberty Global Price Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $7.84 and a 200-day moving average of $7.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.78. The stock has a market cap of $1.07 billion, a PE ratio of -2.14 and a beta of 0.71.

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LILAK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.11) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.04 by ($0.15). The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. Liberty Global had a negative net margin of 11.20% and a negative return on equity of 43.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Liberty Global news, CEO Balan Nair acquired 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $8.07 per share, for a total transaction of $161,400.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 3,125,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,219,064.73. This trade represents a 0.64% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John C. Malone bought 12,406,463 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $8.63 per share, for a total transaction of $107,067,775.69. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 21,173,018 shares in the company, valued at $182,723,145.34. This trade represents a 141.52% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 9.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rubric Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Liberty Global during the 3rd quarter worth about $86,569,000. Oaktree Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 186.4% in the 3rd quarter. Oaktree Capital Management LP now owns 6,669,823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,293,000 after buying an additional 4,341,307 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 899.7% in the 3rd quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 1,093,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,228,000 after buying an additional 983,944 shares during the period. Sculptor Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Liberty Global during the second quarter worth about $3,627,000. Finally, Fourth Sail Capital LP increased its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 22.6% during the fourth quarter. Fourth Sail Capital LP now owns 2,895,728 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,602,000 after buying an additional 533,221 shares during the period. 52.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Liberty Global

Liberty Global plc is a leading international telecommunications and television company, offering video, broadband Internet, fixed-line and mobile services to residential and business customers. Headquartered in London and operating as an ADR on the NASDAQ under the ticker LILAK, the company focuses on developing advanced broadband networks and delivering entertainment and connectivity solutions across Europe.

The company’s core products include high-speed cable broadband, digital and interactive television, fixed-line telephony, and mobile services.