Telefonica Brasil (NYSE:VIV) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Telefonica Brasil S.A. (NYSE:VIV) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $15.02 and last traded at $15.0430, with a volume of 70699 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.92.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Telefonica Brasil from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and set a $14.50 target price on shares of Telefonica Brasil in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Bank of America initiated coverage on Telefonica Brasil in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $14.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Telefonica Brasil from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Telefonica Brasil currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $13.12.

Telefonica Brasil Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $24.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.92, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.71. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $12.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Telefonica Brasil (NYSE:VIV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 14th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter. Telefonica Brasil had a return on equity of 8.67% and a net margin of 10.37%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Telefonica Brasil S.A. will post 0.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Telefonica Brasil

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VIV. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of Telefonica Brasil by 337.7% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 4,233 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 3,266 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Telefonica Brasil in the 1st quarter valued at about $52,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Telefonica Brasil by 214.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,766 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 3,248 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Telefonica Brasil by 45.7% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,163 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 1,619 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westfuller Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Telefonica Brasil in the third quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.16% of the company’s stock.

About Telefonica Brasil

Telefônica Brasil SA, commonly marketed under the Vivo brand, is one of Brazil’s largest telecommunications providers, offering a broad range of consumer and enterprise communications services. The company’s core activities include mobile voice and data services, fixed-line telephony, broadband internet (including fiber-to-the-home), and pay-TV solutions. It also provides ICT and managed services for business customers, such as cloud, data center, connectivity, Internet of Things (IoT) and security solutions.

Vivo operates a nationwide network across Brazil and serves both individual consumers and corporate clients.