Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) Cut to Sell at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Sunday.

BUR has been the subject of several other research reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Burford Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. B. Riley reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $18.00 target price (down from $20.00) on shares of Burford Capital in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Burford Capital in a report on Monday, December 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $18.00.

Burford Capital Stock Down 0.1%

BUR opened at $9.10 on Friday. Burford Capital has a one year low of $8.19 and a one year high of $15.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 14.99 and a current ratio of 14.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 0.57. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $9.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.74.

Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30 by ($0.39). The firm had revenue of $69.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $136.03 million. Burford Capital had a return on equity of 2.71% and a net margin of 18.42%. Analysts anticipate that Burford Capital will post 1.28 EPS for the current year.

Burford Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 125.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Burford Capital’s payout ratio is 31.58%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Burford Capital

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mirabella Financial Services LLP purchased a new position in shares of Burford Capital during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,316,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new position in Burford Capital during the third quarter worth $257,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its position in Burford Capital by 55.6% in the third quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 15,250 shares of the company’s stock worth $182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,450 shares in the last quarter. Two Seas Capital LP lifted its holdings in Burford Capital by 1.5% in the third quarter. Two Seas Capital LP now owns 1,602,067 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,161,000 after acquiring an additional 24,397 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Burford Capital by 236.1% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,579,823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,895,000 after acquiring an additional 1,109,718 shares during the period.

About Burford Capital

Burford Capital (NYSE: BUR) is a leading global finance firm that specializes in litigation and arbitration funding, risk management, and asset recovery. The company provides capital to law firms and corporate clients to finance legal fees and associated costs in commercial disputes. In exchange for funding, Burford shares in any awards or settlements, enabling clients to pursue meritorious claims without bearing upfront legal expenses.

Founded in 2009 by Christopher Bogart, Burford was among the first firms to establish a dedicated litigation finance business.