Mariner Investment Group LLC Takes $1.94 Million Position in United States Cellular Co. (NYSE:USM)

Mariner Investment Group LLC bought a new position in shares of United States Cellular Co. (NYSE:USM) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 31,000 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,944,000. United States Cellular makes up approximately 0.4% of Mariner Investment Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest position.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in shares of United States Cellular during the 2nd quarter worth about $218,000. Ionic Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in United States Cellular during the third quarter worth approximately $246,000. Quest Partners LLC increased its position in United States Cellular by 231.1% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 4,675 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 3,263 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in United States Cellular by 130.3% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 4,762 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 2,694 shares during the period. Finally, Innealta Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of United States Cellular by 22.9% in the third quarter. Innealta Capital LLC now owns 5,329 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock valued at $291,000 after buying an additional 994 shares during the last quarter. 18.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

USM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised United States Cellular from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of United States Cellular from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Raymond James upgraded shares of United States Cellular from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $86.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 7th.

United States Cellular Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE:USM opened at $63.14 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $62.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $58.66. United States Cellular Co. has a 1-year low of $32.01 and a 1-year high of $68.31.

United States Cellular (NYSE:USM) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 1st. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.13. United States Cellular had a negative net margin of 0.79% and a positive return on equity of 1.55%. The company had revenue of $922.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $940.40 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.26 earnings per share. United States Cellular’s quarterly revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that United States Cellular Co. will post 0.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United States Cellular Company Profile

United States Cellular Corporation provides wireless telecommunications services in the United States. The company offers wireless services, including voice, messaging, and data services. It also provides wireless devices, such as handsets, tablets, mobile hotspots, home phones, and routers, as well as wireless essentials, including cases, screen protectors, chargers, and memory cards; and consumer electronics comprising audio, home automation, and networking products.