Sinclair (NASDAQ:SBGI) Shares Up 18% After Dividend Announcement

Sinclair, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBGI)’s stock price was up 18% during trading on Thursday following a dividend announcement from the company. The stock traded as high as $16.17 and last traded at $16.3490. Approximately 164,616 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 51% from the average daily volume of 336,538 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.86.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. Sinclair’s payout ratio is -161.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on SBGI shares. Guggenheim upped their target price on Sinclair from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Benchmark raised their price objective on shares of Sinclair from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Sinclair from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Sinclair from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Sinclair in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $19.75.

Sinclair Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.77. The company’s fifty day moving average is $14.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.67. The stock has a market cap of $1.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -26.25 and a beta of 0.96.

Trending Headlines about Sinclair

Here are the key news stories impacting Sinclair this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 (annualized yield ~7.2%), ex-dividend date March 10 — supports income investors and underpins yield-sensitive demand.
• Positive Sentiment: Reported a large EPS beat: $1.55 EPS vs. consensus around ($0.03), driven by the quarter’s results (earnings beat can reduce downside near term). Sinclair Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Core advertising showed strength (core ad growth cited ~14%; Tennis Channel outperformed), indicating improving ad demand in key segments that could support revenue recovery. Sinclair Inc (SBGI) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade to Buy highlighted the pullback as a buying opportunity (cited ~15% upside) while noting the secure dividend and expected political-ad windfalls — this can attract some value/seeking-income buyers. Sinclair: Managing Secular Pressures Well (Upgrade)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company characterized Q4 as broadly in line with expectations in some writeups — mixed metrics (beat on EPS, slight miss on revenue) leave earnings quality and sustainability as open questions. Sinclair (NASDAQ:SBGI) Reports Q4 CY2025 In Line With Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue pressures: Q4 revenue of ~$836M modestly missed consensus (~$840M) and was down ~16.7% YoY — a continuing revenue decline weighs on growth expectations. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 revenue guidance was set around $3.4–$3.5B, a touch below consensus (~$3.5B), leaving some disappointment for growth expectations; EPS guidance was not reassuringly raised. Sinclair Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet/profitability concerns remain: negative net margin and negative ROE reported for the quarter and net leverage remains elevated (analysts cite ~5.3x), keeping deleveraging as a key risk despite no material maturities until 2029. Sinclair: Managing Secular Pressures Well (Upgrade)

Insider Activity at Sinclair

In related news, Director Benson E. Legg sold 6,548 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.81, for a total transaction of $103,523.88. Following the transaction, the director owned 71,165 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,125,118.65. This represents a 8.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Howard E. Friedman sold 14,713 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.11, for a total value of $222,313.43. Following the transaction, the director owned 77,685 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,173,820.35. This trade represents a 15.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 50,637 shares of company stock worth $815,535. 41.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sinclair

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its position in shares of Sinclair by 7.7% during the third quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 4,242,962 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,069,000 after buying an additional 302,160 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Sinclair by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,934,311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,195,000 after buying an additional 220,623 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Sinclair by 23.8% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,946,274 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,778,000 after purchasing an additional 373,566 shares during the last quarter. Capital Management Corp VA increased its position in Sinclair by 6.2% during the third quarter. Capital Management Corp VA now owns 1,655,050 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,991,000 after buying an additional 97,226 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Sinclair by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,509,006 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,089,000 after acquiring an additional 73,241 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.71% of the company’s stock.

About Sinclair

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc (NASDAQ: SBGI) is a media and entertainment company headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Founded in 1971 as a single UHF television station operator, Sinclair has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to become one of the largest owners of local television stations in the United States. Over its history, the company has pursued a diversified portfolio that includes both traditional broadcast assets and newer digital platforms.

At its core, Sinclair operates over 190 television stations affiliated with the major national broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW and MyNetworkTV.