Shaw Communications (NYSE:SJR) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Hold”

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Shaw Communications (NYSE:SJR – Get Rating) (TSE:SJR.B) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on SJR. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Shaw Communications from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. National Bank Financial downgraded Shaw Communications from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Scotiabank downgraded Shaw Communications from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Finally, Desjardins downgraded Shaw Communications from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Shaw Communications presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $40.50.

Shaw Communications Price Performance

Shares of SJR stock traded up $0.04 on Friday, reaching $28.53. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 885,281 shares, compared to its average volume of 873,712. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Shaw Communications has a 12-month low of $23.64 and a 12-month high of $31.60. The company has a market capitalization of $13.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.03 and a beta of 0.52. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $29.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.17.

Shaw Communications (NYSE:SJR – Get Rating) (TSE:SJR.B) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 12th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.27 by ($0.02). Shaw Communications had a return on equity of 11.70% and a net margin of 13.57%. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that Shaw Communications will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Shaw Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be issued a $0.074 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.11%. This is an increase from Shaw Communications’s previous monthly dividend of $0.07. Shaw Communications’s payout ratio is currently 76.32%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of SJR. CWM LLC increased its holdings in shares of Shaw Communications by 68.4% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,027 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 417 shares during the period. Clear Street Markets LLC purchased a new position in shares of Shaw Communications in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Shaw Communications in the second quarter worth about $44,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Shaw Communications in the second quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Power Corp of Canada bought a new stake in shares of Shaw Communications in the first quarter worth about $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.44% of the company’s stock.

Shaw Communications Company Profile

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Shaw Communications, Inc engages in the provision of cable telecommunications and satellite video services. The company was founded by James Robert Shaw on December 9, 1966 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.