News Co. (NASDAQ:NWS) Shares Sold by Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. cut its holdings in shares of News Co. (NASDAQ:NWS) by 1.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 104,634 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,200 shares during the quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.’s holdings in News were worth $3,184,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NWS. Dorsey Wright & Associates raised its holdings in News by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Dorsey Wright & Associates now owns 109,785 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,341,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares in the last quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of News by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,195 shares of the company’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of News by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 29,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of News by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 29,660 shares of the company’s stock worth $903,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of News by 22.9% during the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 2,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 14.63% of the company’s stock.

News Stock Performance

Shares of NWS opened at $31.32 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. News Co. has a 52-week low of $23.99 and a 52-week high of $35.25. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $30.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $30.97. The company has a market capitalization of $17.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.90 and a beta of 1.26.

News (NASDAQ:NWS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.01). News had a return on equity of 5.31% and a net margin of 4.22%. Research analysts predict that News Co. will post 1.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

News Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.6%. News’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Seaport Res Ptn raised News to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st.

About News

News Corporation, a media and information services company, creates and distributes authoritative and engaging content, and other products and services for consumers and businesses worldwide. It operates through six segments: Digital Real Estate Services, Subscription Video Services, Dow Jones, Book Publishing, News Media, and Other.