Entravision Communications (NYSE:EVC) Sees Large Volume Increase – What’s Next?

Entravision Communications Corporation (NYSE:EVC) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 1,317,221 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 28% from the previous session’s volume of 1,026,701 shares.The stock last traded at $8.3530 and had previously closed at $8.11.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded Entravision Communications from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Sell”.

Entravision Communications Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $3.70 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3.19. The company has a market cap of $828.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -41.02 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19.

Entravision Communications (NYSE:EVC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.03. Entravision Communications had a negative return on equity of 25.31% and a negative net margin of 3.41%.The company had revenue of $196.97 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $121.49 million.

Entravision Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Entravision Communications’s payout ratio is presently -90.91%.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder Alexandra Seros sold 323,939 shares of Entravision Communications stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.03, for a total transaction of $2,601,230.17. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 9,820,143 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $78,855,748.29. The trade was a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 1,500,000 shares of company stock worth $10,678,636 over the last 90 days. 8.54% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Entravision Communications

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EVC. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Entravision Communications by 35.7% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 26,568 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 6,991 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Entravision Communications during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Entravision Communications by 14.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 595,685 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,251,000 after acquiring an additional 73,103 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Entravision Communications by 7.4% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 470,465 shares of the company’s stock worth $988,000 after acquiring an additional 32,321 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in shares of Entravision Communications by 146.2% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 38,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 22,606 shares during the last quarter. 69.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Entravision Communications

Entravision Communications Corporation (NYSE: EVC) is a diversified Spanish-language media and advertising company headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The company develops and distributes multimedia content tailored to Hispanic audiences across the United States, leveraging a combination of traditional broadcasting and digital platforms to reach consumers and marketers seeking to engage this fast-growing demographic.

In its broadcasting segment, Entravision owns and operates more than 50 television stations affiliated primarily with leading Spanish-language networks, as well as over 40 radio stations in key U.S.