Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN) has earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the nine analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $32.7143.

GEN has been the subject of several research reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Gen Digital from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Gen Digital in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Gen Digital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Gen Digital in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised Gen Digital from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th.

Gen Digital Stock Performance

NASDAQ GEN opened at $18.71 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.50, a current ratio of 0.47 and a quick ratio of 0.47. Gen Digital has a 1-year low of $18.20 and a 1-year high of $32.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.15. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $22.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.38.

Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.01. Gen Digital had a net margin of 12.76% and a return on equity of 56.76%. The firm had revenue of $1.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.56 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. Gen Digital has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.640-0.660 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.540-2.560 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Gen Digital will post 2.05 EPS for the current year.

Gen Digital Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Monday, February 16th were issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Gen Digital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.55%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gen Digital

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Gen Digital in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Spire Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Gen Digital by 1,183.3% during the third quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,078 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 994 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in shares of Gen Digital by 92.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,104 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 529 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Gen Digital by 48.6% during the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,223 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in shares of Gen Digital in the second quarter valued at $44,000. 81.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Gen Digital

Gen Digital (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global cybersecurity company specializing in consumer- and small-business-focused security, privacy, and identity protection solutions. The company offers a suite of products designed to safeguard devices, networks, and personal information against malware, ransomware, phishing attacks and other digital threats. With a focus on user-friendly interfaces and cross-platform compatibility, Gen Digital develops antivirus software, VPN services, parental controls, password management tools, and comprehensive identity-theft monitoring services.

Gen Digital traces its origins to the consumer software division of Symantec Corporation, which was spun off in late 2019 under the NortonLifeLock name.