Virtu Financial LLC Purchases 492,389 Shares of Ambev S.A. $ABEV

Virtu Financial LLC increased its position in Ambev S.A. (NYSE:ABEV) by 234.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 702,098 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 492,389 shares during the quarter. Virtu Financial LLC’s holdings in Ambev were worth $1,734,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABEV. Modern Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ambev during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Monument Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Ambev in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. First Trust Advisors LP bought a new position in shares of Ambev during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of Ambev during the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, IHT Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ambev during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. 8.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Ambev

In related news, insider Paulo Andre Zagman sold 136,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.41, for a total transaction of $464,612.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 230,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $786,124.35. This trade represents a 37.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider De Lacerda Eduardo Cavalcanti sold 152,386 shares of Ambev stock in a transaction on Friday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.85, for a total value of $434,300.10. Following the transaction, the insider owned 223,340 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $636,519. The trade was a 40.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information.

Ambev Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE:ABEV opened at $3.12 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $3.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.90. The company has a market capitalization of $49.26 billion, a PE ratio of 16.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.78. Ambev S.A. has a 1-year low of $2.10 and a 1-year high of $3.45.

Ambev (NYSE:ABEV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.05. Ambev had a net margin of 17.69% and a return on equity of 16.63%. The company had revenue of $4.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Ambev S.A. will post 0.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ambev Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.0092 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 24th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Ambev’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.53%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ABEV has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut Ambev from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays upped their price target on Ambev from $3.00 to $3.50 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Ambev from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Ambev from $2.65 to $2.90 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $3.09.

Ambev Company Profile

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.