Comcast Co. (NASDAQ:CMCSA) Stock Position Decreased by Meridian Investment Counsel Inc.

Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its stake in Comcast Co. (NASDAQ:CMCSA) by 1.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 84,623 shares of the cable giant’s stock after selling 1,625 shares during the period. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Comcast were worth $3,176,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Promus Capital LLC bought a new stake in Comcast in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Comcast by 269.9% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 688 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 502 shares during the period. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Comcast during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Comcast during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC bought a new position in Comcast in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 84.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Comcast Stock Performance

Shares of CMCSA stock opened at $36.62 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $138.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.00. Comcast Co. has a 1-year low of $32.50 and a 1-year high of $45.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.99.

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The cable giant reported $0.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.08. Comcast had a return on equity of 19.98% and a net margin of 13.09%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Comcast Co. will post 4.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Comcast Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.60%. This is a positive change from Comcast’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Comcast’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.81%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on CMCSA shares. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Comcast from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Comcast from $50.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Loop Capital reduced their price target on shares of Comcast from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Comcast from $42.00 to $37.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Comcast from $45.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.64.

Comcast Company 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.