Comcast Corporation $CMCSA Shares Sold by WASHINGTON TRUST Co

WASHINGTON TRUST Co trimmed its position in Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) by 44.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 60,143 shares of the cable giant’s stock after selling 47,374 shares during the quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co’s holdings in Comcast were worth $1,309,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CMCSA. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Comcast by 10.2% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,864,921 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $1,173,232,000 after purchasing an additional 3,783,234 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Comcast by 1.8% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,461,308 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $845,919,000 after buying an additional 507,097 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Comcast by 4.9% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 13,592,149 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $390,231,000 after buying an additional 630,902 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its position in Comcast by 824.4% during the first quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 11,616,490 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $333,509,000 after buying an additional 10,359,800 shares during the period. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its position in Comcast by 5.7% during the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 10,666,200 shares of the cable giant’s stock valued at $306,227,000 after buying an additional 574,300 shares during the period. 84.32% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CMCSA. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $27.00 price objective (down from $32.00) on shares of Comcast in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Comcast from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Friday. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $35.00 price target (down from $37.00) on shares of Comcast in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 price objective on shares of Comcast in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Comcast from $30.00 to $27.50 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Comcast has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.58.

Key Headlines Impacting Comcast

Here are the key news stories impacting Comcast this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Comcast reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.07 per share, above the roughly $0.99 analyst consensus, while revenue of $29.3 billion was broadly in line with expectations. Wireless growth, improved Peacock profitability and strong film performance helped offset weakness elsewhere. Comcast beats earnings expectations as media revenue offsets weakness in connectivity
• Positive Sentiment: Management said approximately 70% of wireless trial lines converted to paid accounts, indicating that the wireless business may be gaining traction as Comcast seeks to diversify beyond broadband. Peacock also reached profitability, supporting momentum ahead of the planned NBCUniversal spinoff. Comcast: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Comcast declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share, or $1.32 annually, offering an approximately 5.8% yield based on the reported share price. The payout may appeal to income-oriented investors, although the yield also reflects broader concerns about the stock’s growth outlook. Comcast Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: The proposed separation of NBCUniversal from Comcast’s broadband, pay-TV and wireless operations could unlock value by allowing each business to pursue a more focused strategy. However, execution and the final structure of the transaction remain important uncertainties. Comcast Co-CEO Brian Roberts Touts Staffers’ Energy and Excitement About Pending NBCUniversal Split
• Negative Sentiment: Domestic broadband and video subscriber losses continued, with satellite and other competitors intensifying pressure on Comcast’s core connectivity business. Revenue fell about 6% year over year, and adjusted earnings declined from the prior-year quarter despite the EPS beat. Comcast broadband losses deepen as competition pressures core business
• Negative Sentiment: Comcast expects a fourth-quarter restructuring charge exceeding $1 billion, including layoffs, as it overhauls its connectivity operations. Analysts including TD Cowen, Goldman Sachs and Citi lowered price targets, underscoring investor concern that broadband weakness may persist. Comcast Flags $1 Billion Q4 Charge for Layoffs and Restructuring

Comcast Stock Performance

CMCSA stock traded down $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $22.69. 31,333,087 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 31,472,736. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Comcast Corporation has a 52 week low of $20.48 and a 52 week high of $32.85. The business has a 50-day moving average of $23.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.52 billion, a PE ratio of 7.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.68.

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The cable giant reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $29.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $29.22 billion. Comcast had a return on equity of 14.64% and a net margin of 9.20%. The company’s revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.12 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Comcast Corporation will post 3.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Comcast Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 6th will be given a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 6th. Comcast’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.72%.

About Comcast

Comcast Corporation is a global media and communications company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1963 as American Cable Systems, the company grew through the expansion of cable television and broadband services and adopted the Comcast name in 1969.

Through its Connectivity & Platforms businesses, Comcast provides residential and business customers with broadband internet, video, voice, mobile and related services. Its Xfinity brand offers internet, television, streaming and wireless products in the United States, while Comcast Business serves commercial and enterprise customers with connectivity, communications and technology solutions.