Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the nine analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $47.25.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on ZD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Ziff Davis from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $38.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $45.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th.

Ziff Davis Price Performance

Ziff Davis stock opened at $46.03 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $44.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $39.64. Ziff Davis has a 1 year low of $22.45 and a 1 year high of $50.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.73 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 1.66.

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The technology company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.01. Ziff Davis had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 12.17%. The firm had revenue of $267.64 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $264.32 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ziff Davis will post 4.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Kirk P. Mcdonald sold 1,075 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.65, for a total transaction of $50,148.75. Following the transaction, the director owned 13,468 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $628,282.20. The trade was a 7.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Bret Richter sold 18,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.88, for a total transaction of $843,840.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 29,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,370,958.72. The trade was a 38.10% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 31,422 shares of company stock valued at $1,468,864 in the last 90 days. 3.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ziff Davis

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Ziff Davis by 2.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 160,656 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $6,037,000 after buying an additional 3,696 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Ziff Davis by 1.3% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 188,595 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $5,709,000 after buying an additional 2,347 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Ziff Davis by 46.2% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 100,549 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $3,044,000 after buying an additional 31,765 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in Ziff Davis in the second quarter valued at approximately $927,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in Ziff Davis in the second quarter valued at approximately $380,000. 99.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ziff Davis

Ziff Davis, Inc is a digital media and internet company that operates a diverse portfolio of online brands, subscription-based services and performance marketing platforms. The company specializes in technology publishing and digital marketing solutions, offering content, reviews and insights tailored to consumer and enterprise audiences. Ziff Davis’s flagship media properties include PCMag, which provides expert reviews and comparisons of consumer electronics and software, as well as IGN, a leading destination for gaming news, reviews and entertainment coverage.

Founded in 1927 by William B.