Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) Sets New 1-Year High After Analyst Upgrade

Starz Entertainment Corp. (NASDAQ:STRZ) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday after B. Riley Financial upgraded the stock to a strong-buy rating. The stock traded as high as $32.28 and last traded at $31.4750, with a volume of 39821 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $28.86.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on STRZ. Robert W. Baird set a $30.00 target price on shares of Starz Entertainment and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Starz Entertainment from $13.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and set a $29.00 price objective on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $26.00 target price on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Starz Entertainment in a report on Friday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Starz Entertainment presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $30.71.

Insider Activity at Starz Entertainment

In related news, CEO Jeffrey Hirsch acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $20.72 per share, for a total transaction of $207,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 55,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,139,600. This trade represents a 22.22% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jason Wyrick sold 2,803 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.47, for a total transaction of $71,392.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 27,241 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $693,828.27. The trade was a 9.33% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 22.62% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Starz Entertainment during the 2nd quarter worth $5,076,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Starz Entertainment by 632.9% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 210,771 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,466,000 after purchasing an additional 182,012 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC raised its position in Starz Entertainment by 547.1% in the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 175,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,583,000 after purchasing an additional 148,230 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in Starz Entertainment in the second quarter valued at about $2,212,000. Finally, Alpine Global Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Starz Entertainment during the third quarter valued at about $1,948,000.

Starz Entertainment Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $485.00 million, a P/E ratio of -1.73 and a beta of 2.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $24.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.18.

Starz Entertainment Company Profile

Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ: STRZ) is a global media and entertainment company that operates premium subscription video services across linear television and digital streaming platforms. The company’s core offering includes the STARZ and STARZ ENCORE linear networks in the United States, alongside its STARZPLAY streaming service, which is available in North America, parts of Europe, Latin America and select Asian markets. Through its multi-platform distribution strategy, Starz delivers a combination of original programming, feature films and licensed series to a broad subscriber base.

At the heart of Starz Entertainment’s business is its investment in original content production.