Burford Capital Limited (NYSE:BUR) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Burford Capital Limited (NYSE:BUR) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the five ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $12.00.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on BUR. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and set a $4.75 target price (down from $6.00) on shares of Burford Capital in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Burford Capital in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Burford Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on shares of Burford Capital in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock.

Burford Capital Stock Up 0.3%

BUR stock opened at $5.16 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $6.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 10.93 and a current ratio of 10.93. Burford Capital has a fifty-two week low of $3.59 and a fifty-two week high of $15.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.70 and a beta of 1.28.

Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The company reported ($0.17) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.54). Burford Capital had a return on equity of 10.19% and a net margin of 15.14%.The firm had revenue of $48.78 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $168.30 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Burford Capital will post -0.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Burford Capital Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a yield of 147.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. Burford Capital’s dividend payout ratio is 44.44%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Burford Capital

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in Burford Capital by 1,687.7% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 2,751 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in Burford Capital in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Burford Capital in the first quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Burford Capital in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $93,000. Finally, Equitable Holdings Inc. acquired a new position in Burford Capital in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $94,000.

Burford Capital Company Profile

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.