Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) Cut to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note published on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on BUR. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Burford Capital in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Wedbush assumed coverage on shares of Burford Capital in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $14.00 price target for the company. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 price objective (down from $20.00) on shares of Burford Capital in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Wall Street Zen cut Burford Capital from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, December 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Burford Capital in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.00.

Burford Capital Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of BUR stock opened at $8.39 on Monday. Burford Capital has a one year low of $8.12 and a one year high of $15.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 10.93 and a quick ratio of 10.93. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $9.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.38. The stock has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 0.66.

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 given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a yield of 147.0%. Burford Capital’s dividend payout ratio is 44.44%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Burford Capital

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BUR. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of Burford Capital by 1,687.7% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,914 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 2,751 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its position in Burford Capital by 131.3% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,625 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 2,058 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Burford Capital during the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Burford Capital during the 1st quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in Burford Capital in the 2nd quarter valued at about $70,000.

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.