Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) CFO Bret Richter Sells 18,000 Shares of Stock

Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD) CFO Bret Richter sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $1,370,958.72. The trade was a 38.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Ziff Davis Price Performance

NASDAQ:ZD opened at $45.74 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $44.57 and a 200-day moving average of $39.10. The company has a market capitalization of $1.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.48 and a beta of 1.12. Ziff Davis, Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.45 and a 52 week high of $50.55. 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 data on Thursday, May 7th. The technology company reported $0.73 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $267.64 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $264.32 million. Ziff Davis had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 12.17%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ziff Davis, Inc. will post 4.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on ZD. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Ziff Davis from $38.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. 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 report on Tuesday, May 5th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $29.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ziff Davis has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $47.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ziff Davis

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in Ziff Davis in the 1st quarter valued at about $3,489,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its position in Ziff Davis by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,526,329 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $147,963,000 after acquiring an additional 92,496 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its position in Ziff Davis by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 119,364 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $5,009,000 after acquiring an additional 4,678 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in Ziff Davis by 20.9% in the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 46,368 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,946,000 after acquiring an additional 8,008 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its position in Ziff Davis by 35.2% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 37,927 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,591,000 after acquiring an additional 9,866 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.76% of the company’s stock.

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.