Ambev (NYSE:ABEV) Earns Buy Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Ambev (NYSE:ABEV) in a report issued on Monday morning. The firm issued a buy rating on the stock.

ABEV has been the topic of several other reports. Bank of America lowered shares of Ambev from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Ambev in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on Ambev from $2.50 to $2.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $2.45.

Ambev Price Performance

Shares of ABEV opened at $1.82 on Monday. Ambev has a 12 month low of $1.76 and a 12 month high of $2.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $2.18. The company has a market cap of $28.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.08, a PEG ratio of 5.44 and a beta of 1.05.

Ambev Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 23rd were issued a $0.0414 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 23rd. Ambev’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.33%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ambev

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp increased its stake in Ambev by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,425,374 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,438,000 after purchasing an additional 878,900 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ambev by 132.9% in the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 1,976,147 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,822,000 after buying an additional 1,127,719 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ambev by 18.3% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 54,013 shares of the company’s stock valued at $129,000 after acquiring an additional 8,350 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Ambev by 298.1% in the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 802,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,957,000 after acquiring an additional 600,545 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ambev by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,067,893 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,606,000 after acquiring an additional 258,875 shares in the last quarter. 8.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ambev Company Profile

Ambev SA, through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and sale of beer, draft beer, carbonated soft drinks, malt and food, other alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic and non-carbonated products in Brazil, Central America and Caribbean, Latin America South, and Canada. It offers beer primarily under the Skol, Brahma, Antarctica, Brahva, Budweiser, Bud Light, Beck, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Balboa ICE, Balboa, Atlas Golden Light, Atlas, Bucanero, Cristal, Mayabe, Presidente, Presidente Light, Brahma Light, Bohemia, The One, Corona, Modelo Especial, Stella Artois, Quilmes Clásica, Paceña, Taquiña, Huari, Becker, Cusqueña, Michelob Ultra, Busch, Pilsen, Ouro Fino, Bud 66, Banks, Deputy, Patricia, Labatt Blue, Alexander Keith’s, and Kokanee brands.