Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LILAK) Director John Malone Buys 22,477 Shares of Stock

Liberty Global PLC (NASDAQ:LILAK) Director John Malone acquired 22,477 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $8.50 per share, for a total transaction of $191,054.50. Following the purchase, the director owned 150,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,277,592.50. This trade represents a 17.58% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Liberty Global Stock Down 1.2%

LILAK stock opened at $8.43 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.70 billion, a PE ratio of -17.20 and a beta of 0.71. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $7.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.88. Liberty Global PLC has a fifty-two week low of $4.76 and a fifty-two week high of $9.13.

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LILAK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by ($0.15). The business had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.09 billion. Liberty Global had a negative return on equity of 8.50% and a negative net margin of 2.20%.

Institutional Trading of Liberty Global

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Liberty Global by 67.3% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 198,628 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,233,000 after purchasing an additional 79,917 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Liberty Global by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 77,003 shares of the company’s stock worth $478,000 after buying an additional 3,234 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Liberty Global by 10.8% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 367,176 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,280,000 after buying an additional 35,844 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Liberty Global by 316.4% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 153,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $955,000 after buying an additional 116,861 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in shares of Liberty Global by 1.6% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 158,315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $985,000 after acquiring an additional 2,533 shares during the period. 52.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Liberty Global News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Liberty Global this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director John C. Malone purchased 28,219 shares at an average of $8.50, increasing his direct ownership by 18.77%. He also bought 22,477 shares at the same price on August 11, representing a 17.58% increase in his holdings. These purchases can signal insider confidence in Liberty Global’s valuation and prospects. SEC insider trading filing
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target for Liberty Global from $8.00 to $9.00, implying additional upside from the reported reference price. However, Citi maintained a “neutral” rating, indicating that the target increase is a modest valuation adjustment rather than a strongly bullish call. Benzinga analyst price target report
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Charles H. R. Bracken reportedly bought 17,425 shares, increasing his position by 73.32%. The filing lists an average purchase price of $20.93, which is materially above the stock level referenced elsewhere and may reflect a reporting or data anomaly, so investors should verify the SEC filing before drawing conclusions. SEC insider trading filing
• Negative Sentiment: Bracken also sold 42,975 shares at an average price of $8.57 for approximately $368,296. The sale partially offsets the positive impact of the insider purchases, although the filing does not establish whether it reflects a change in his long-term outlook. SEC insider trading filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on LILAK shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Liberty Global in a report on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Liberty Global from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Liberty Global from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Liberty Global has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.60.

Liberty Global Company Profile

Liberty Global plc is a leading international telecommunications and television company, offering video, broadband Internet, fixed-line and mobile services to residential and business customers. Headquartered in London and operating as an ADR on the NASDAQ under the ticker LILAK, the company focuses on developing advanced broadband networks and delivering entertainment and connectivity solutions across Europe.

The company’s core products include high-speed cable broadband, digital and interactive television, fixed-line telephony, and mobile services.