Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Boosts Position in NetEase, Inc. $NTES

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES) by 15.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 841,623 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 112,001 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.13% of NetEase worth $127,823,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of NetEase by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,297 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $919,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of NetEase during the 1st quarter worth approximately $63,000. Savant Capital LLC raised its position in shares of NetEase by 61.9% during the 2nd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 3,692 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $497,000 after purchasing an additional 1,412 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its stake in NetEase by 29.3% in the 2nd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 3,191 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $429,000 after buying an additional 723 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Midwest Trust Co purchased a new stake in NetEase in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $300,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.07% of the company’s stock.

NetEase Stock Performance

Shares of NTES opened at $115.26 on Thursday. NetEase, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $88.54 and a fifty-two week high of $159.55. The company has a market capitalization of $73.03 billion, a PE ratio of 15.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.74. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $127.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $137.42.

NetEase Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. This is a boost from NetEase’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. NetEase’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.93%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of NetEase in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Barclays reduced their price objective on NetEase from $135.00 to $132.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Nomura decreased their price objective on NetEase from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of NetEase in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $155.00 target price on shares of NetEase in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, NetEase presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $153.89.

NetEase Company Profile

NetEase, Inc (NASDAQ: NTES) is a Chinese technology company headquartered in Hangzhou that develops and operates Internet services and products. Founded in 1997 by William Ding (Ding Lei), the company has grown from an early web portal and e-mail provider into a diversified online services group. William Ding has served as the company’s founder and long-time leader, guiding its expansion into games, digital content and consumer services.

The company’s primary business is interactive entertainment: NetEase Games designs, develops and publishes PC and mobile games for domestic and international audiences, offering a mix of self-developed franchises and titles published under licensing and strategic partnerships.