Universal Display Co. (NASDAQ:OLED) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Universal Display Co. (NASDAQ:OLED) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $190.43.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on OLED. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on Universal Display from $215.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 21st. Roth Mkm boosted their target price on Universal Display from $207.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Universal Display from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of Universal Display from $220.00 to $200.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Universal Display from $234.00 to $203.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 6th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Display

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in OLED. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Universal Display by 36.9% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 133,042 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $19,451,000 after buying an additional 35,849 shares in the last quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in Universal Display by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 13,559 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,982,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Universal Display by 171.2% during the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,206 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $469,000 after purchasing an additional 2,024 shares in the last quarter. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of Universal Display by 90.2% during the 4th quarter. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. now owns 120,000 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $17,544,000 after purchasing an additional 56,900 shares during the period. Finally, Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal Display by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 2,536,513 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $370,838,000 after purchasing an additional 69,043 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.19% of the company’s stock.

Universal Display Stock Down 3.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:OLED opened at $145.17 on Friday. Universal Display has a fifty-two week low of $140.17 and a fifty-two week high of $237.00. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $149.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $168.25. The stock has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.40.

Universal Display (NASDAQ:OLED) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The semiconductor company reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $162.29 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $152.75 million. Universal Display had a net margin of 34.29% and a return on equity of 15.51%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Universal Display will post 4.71 EPS for the current year.

Universal Display Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.24%. This is a positive change from Universal Display’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Universal Display’s payout ratio is 38.71%.

Universal Display Company Profile

Universal Display Corporation engages in the research, development, and commercialization of organic light emitting diode (OLED) technologies and materials for use in display and solid-state lighting applications in the United States and internationally. The company offers PHOLED technologies and materials for displays and lighting products under the UniversalPHOLED brand.