Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.19 EPS

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The technology company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.19, Briefing.com reports. Ziff Davis had a net margin of 48.57% and a return on equity of 10.73%. The company had revenue of $289.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $295.31 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.76 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 20.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ziff Davis Stock Down 8.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:ZD traded down $4.67 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $49.61. The stock had a trading volume of 933,933 shares, compared to its average volume of 405,626. The company has a market cap of $1.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.10. Ziff Davis has a 12 month low of $22.45 and a 12 month high of $60.48. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $56.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $47.70. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Jeremy Rossen sold 3,819 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.93, for a total transaction of $209,777.67. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,643 shares in the company, valued at $584,619.99. The trade was a 26.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Lori A. Tansley sold 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.76, for a total transaction of $76,664.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 767 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,000.92. The trade was a 64.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 7,732 shares of company stock valued at $425,436. 3.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Ziff Davis

Here are the key news stories impacting Ziff Davis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS was $1.39, ahead of the $1.20 analyst estimate. Earnings flash
• Neutral Sentiment: AI initiatives and revenue diversification were highlighted as key themes in the Q3 discussion. The available report summary does not provide details on their expected financial impact. Q3 deep dive
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue was $289.3 million, below the $295.3 million consensus estimate, and fell 20.5% from a year earlier. The sales shortfall and contraction likely outweighed the EPS beat for investors. Third-quarter results

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ZD has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ziff Davis from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Ziff Davis in a research report on Friday, September 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ziff Davis to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Ziff Davis from $30.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $64.00 target price on shares of Ziff Davis in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ziff Davis currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $60.67.

Ziff Davis Company Profile

Ziff Davis, Inc is a digital media and technology company that operates a portfolio of online brands serving consumers, technology professionals, businesses and advertisers. Its properties cover technology, gaming and entertainment, shopping, health and wellness, and related digital services.

The company’s brands include PCMag, Mashable, IGN, Humble Bundle, RetailMeNot, Spiceworks, Ookla and its Speedtest and Downdetector services, as well as health and wellness publications and platforms operated through its Everyday Health Group.