Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

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

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ZD shares. Zacks Research lowered Ziff Davis from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $61.00 target price on shares of Ziff Davis in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Ziff Davis from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Piper Sandler set a $48.00 target price on Ziff Davis in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Ziff Davis from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th.

Ziff Davis Stock Performance

ZD stock opened at $50.42 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $1.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.62 and a beta of 1.13. Ziff Davis has a 12-month low of $22.45 and a 12-month high of $50.55. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $45.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.10.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Bret Richter sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 approximately $1,370,958.72. This trade represents a 38.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jeremy Rossen sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total value of $376,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 14,462 shares in the company, valued at $679,714. This trade represents a 35.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,422 shares of company stock valued at $1,468,864. Company insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of ZD. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings 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 valued at $6,037,000 after purchasing an additional 3,696 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings 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 valued at $5,709,000 after purchasing an additional 2,347 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings 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 valued at $3,044,000 after purchasing an additional 31,765 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ziff Davis during the second quarter valued at $927,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ziff Davis during the second quarter valued at $380,000. 99.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ziff Davis Company Profile

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.