Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. Raises Stock Position in Comcast Co. (NASDAQ:CMCSA)

Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Comcast Co. (NASDAQ:CMCSA) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 101,182 shares of the cable giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,486 shares during the period. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Comcast were worth $4,438,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its holdings in Comcast by 94.1% in the third quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 623 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. increased its holdings in Comcast by 299.1% in the fourth quarter. Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. now owns 634,727 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 475,675 shares in the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Comcast in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Comcast in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Comcast in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.32% of the company’s stock.

Comcast Price Performance

Shares of CMCSA traded down $0.26 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $39.17. The company had a trading volume of 12,199,504 shares, compared to its average volume of 20,569,959. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $42.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $42.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The company has a market capitalization of $155.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.60, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.98. Comcast Co. has a 12-month low of $36.38 and a 12-month high of $47.46.

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The cable giant reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $31.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.41 billion. Comcast had a net margin of 12.66% and a return on equity of 19.75%. Research analysts expect that Comcast Co. will post 4.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Comcast Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 3rd will be paid a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.17%. This is a boost from Comcast’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 2nd. Comcast’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.33%.

Insider Activity at Comcast

In other Comcast news, President Michael J. Cavanagh sold 114,749 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.10, for a total transaction of $5,289,928.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CMCSA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Comcast in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Comcast from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. Redburn Atlantic downgraded shares of Comcast from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $50.00 to $44.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 target price on shares of Comcast in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Comcast from $50.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 5th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Comcast currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.50.

Comcast Profile

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.