Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) Lowered to Strong Sell Rating by Zacks Research

Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) was downgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

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

Burford Capital Stock Performance

Burford Capital stock opened at $8.54 on Monday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 0.66. Burford Capital has a 1-year low of $8.12 and a 1-year high of $15.10. The company’s 50-day moving average is $9.34 and its 200 day moving average is $10.40.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BUR. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new stake in shares of Burford Capital in the 4th quarter valued at about $157,000. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in shares of Burford Capital during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $255,000. Voloridge Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Burford Capital during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,587,000. Claar Advisors LLC raised its stake in Burford Capital by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Claar Advisors LLC now owns 839,745 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,491,000 after buying an additional 108,307 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Burford Capital in the fourth quarter worth approximately $11,316,000.

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.