Ambev (NYSE:ABEV) Hits New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Ambev S.A. (NYSE:ABEV) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $2.90 and last traded at $2.9050, with a volume of 66356 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $2.83.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ambev in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $2.88 price target on shares of Ambev in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $2.53.

Ambev Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $2.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $2.38. The company has a market capitalization of $45.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Ambev Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were given a dividend of $0.049 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 1,465.0%. Ambev’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 183.33%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Monument Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Ambev in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new stake in Ambev in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Ambev in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Modern Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ambev during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Bensler LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ambev during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 8.13% of the company’s stock.

About Ambev

Ambev (NYSE: ABEV) is a Brazilian-based beverage company that produces, distributes and markets a broad portfolio of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The company’s core business centers on brewing and selling beer, alongside a range of soft drinks, bottled water, energy drinks and other malt-based beverages. Headquartered in São Paulo, Ambev operates an integrated value chain that covers manufacturing, packaging, logistics and commercial sales to retail, on-premise and institutional customers.

The company traces its origins to the 1999 merger of two historic Brazilian breweries, and later became part of the broader global brewing group through subsequent industry consolidations.