Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LILAK) Director John Malone Acquires 28,219 Shares

Liberty Global PLC (NASDAQ:LILAK) Director John Malone bought 28,219 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $8.50 per share, for a total transaction of $239,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 178,524 shares in the company, valued at $1,517,454. This represents a 18.77% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Liberty Global Stock Down 1.2%

NASDAQ:LILAK opened at $8.43 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.70 billion, a PE ratio of -17.20 and a beta of 0.71. Liberty Global PLC has a 12-month low of $4.76 and a 12-month high of $9.13. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $7.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.88.

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LILAK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by ($0.15). Liberty Global had a negative net margin of 2.20% and a negative return on equity of 8.50%. The company had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion.

Liberty Global News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Liberty Global this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director John C. Malone purchased 28,219 shares at an average of $8.50, increasing his direct ownership by 18.77%. He also bought 22,477 shares at the same price on August 11, representing a 17.58% increase in his holdings. These purchases can signal insider confidence in Liberty Global’s valuation and prospects. SEC insider trading filing
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target for Liberty Global from $8.00 to $9.00, implying additional upside from the reported reference price. However, Citi maintained a “neutral” rating, indicating that the target increase is a modest valuation adjustment rather than a strongly bullish call. Benzinga analyst price target report
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Charles H. R. Bracken reportedly bought 17,425 shares, increasing his position by 73.32%. The filing lists an average purchase price of $20.93, which is materially above the stock level referenced elsewhere and may reflect a reporting or data anomaly, so investors should verify the SEC filing before drawing conclusions. SEC insider trading filing
• Negative Sentiment: Bracken also sold 42,975 shares at an average price of $8.57 for approximately $368,296. The sale partially offsets the positive impact of the insider purchases, although the filing does not establish whether it reflects a change in his long-term outlook. SEC insider trading filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Liberty Global in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Liberty Global from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Liberty Global from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Liberty Global has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $8.60.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Liberty Global by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 796,975 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,029,000 after acquiring an additional 29,933 shares in the last quarter. Cim Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Liberty Global by 142.3% during the first quarter. Cim Investment Management Inc. now owns 44,079 shares of the company’s stock worth $389,000 after purchasing an additional 25,885 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Liberty Global by 26.7% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 467,627 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,124,000 after purchasing an additional 98,507 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 377.3% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 2,479 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rubric Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of Liberty Global by 44.5% during the first quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 15,395,430 shares of the company’s stock valued at $135,788,000 after purchasing an additional 4,738,495 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.98% of the company’s stock.

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.