NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $112.67.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on NTES shares. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of NetEase from $104.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 26th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of NetEase from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of NetEase in a research report on Friday, July 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on NetEase from $126.00 to $103.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of NetEase from $142.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 23rd.

NetEase Trading Down 1.1 %

NASDAQ NTES opened at $88.09 on Friday. NetEase has a 12 month low of $75.85 and a 12 month high of $118.89. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $86.14 and its 200 day moving average is $91.91. The stock has a market cap of $56.56 billion, a PE ratio of 14.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.55.

NetEase (NASDAQ:NTES) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 22nd. The technology company reported $12.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.62 by $10.43. NetEase had a net margin of 26.98% and a return on equity of 22.30%. The company had revenue of $25.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.01 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.75 EPS. NetEase’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that NetEase will post 6.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

NetEase Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 6th were given a dividend of $0.435 per share. This represents a $1.74 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 6th. NetEase’s payout ratio is 28.22%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NetEase

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NTES. Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in NetEase by 1,415.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 303 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 283 shares during the period. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC increased its position in shares of NetEase by 55.5% in the 2nd quarter. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 328 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Ariadne Wealth Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of NetEase during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. acquired a new position in shares of NetEase during the first quarter worth $50,000. Finally, ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in NetEase in the first quarter valued at $50,000. 11.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About NetEase

NetEase, Inc engages in online games, music streaming, online intelligent learning services, and internet content services businesses in China and internationally . The company operates through Games and Related Value-Added Services, Youdao, Cloud Music, and Innovative Businesses and Others segments.