JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) Stock Price

Key Points

• JPMorgan lowered its Versant price target from $43 to $39 while maintaining a neutral rating; the new target implies about 13.9% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly neutral: MarketBeat reports a consensus Hold rating and an average price target of $41.71.
• Versant beat quarterly EPS estimates, reporting $0.34 versus $0.03 expected, though reports cited declining revenue as a concern; management reaffirmed its 2026 outlook.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT - Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $43.00 to $39.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price target points to a potential upside of 13.87% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on VSNT. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Versant in a report on Thursday, September 24th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $41.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Versant in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $38.00 price objective on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Versant from $35.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research raised Versant from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Arete Research upgraded Versant from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $40.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $41.71.

Versant Trading Up 4.8%

Shares of NASDAQ VSNT traded up $1.56 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $34.25. 2,516,215 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,698,059. The company's 50 day moving average price is $34.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.25. Versant has a 12 month low of $27.17 and a 12 month high of $59.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.75 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.88. The company has a current ratio of 2.38, a quick ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Versant will post 4.10 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Versant

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp bought a new position in shares of Versant during the second quarter valued at approximately $171,182,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP bought a new position in Versant in the first quarter worth approximately $41,747,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Versant in the first quarter worth approximately $26,331,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Versant during the first quarter worth $25,317,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Versant during the first quarter worth $24,475,000.

Key Versant News

Here are the key news stories impacting Versant this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Versant reported Q3 adjusted earnings of $0.34 per share, well above the $0.03 consensus estimate, on $1.59 billion in revenue. The company also said digital platforms contributed to growth. Versant earnings beat expectations as digital platforms drive growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its 2026 revenue outlook of $6.2 billion–$6.45 billion and expects free cash flow above $1 billion, with a target range of $1 billion–$1.2 billion. Plans to expand MS NOW and Fandango add to the growth narrative. Versant affirms 2026 outlook and plans platform expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Versant declared a quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share, equivalent to $1.50 annually and a reported 4.4% yield. The payment is scheduled for January 25, 2027, to shareholders of record January 4. Versant declares fourth quarterly cash dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the earnings beat, reports noted that Q3 revenue declined, a potential concern about underlying business momentum. Versant Q3 earnings, revenue decline; 2026 outlook reaffirmed

About Versant

Versant, Inc NASDAQ: VSNT is a media and entertainment company formed from selected cable television and digital assets formerly owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal division. The company develops, produces, distributes and markets entertainment, news, sports and lifestyle content across television networks and digital platforms.

Versant's portfolio includes USA Network, E!, SYFY, Oxygen, Golf Channel and related digital properties. Its assets also include Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, which provide movie-ticketing, entertainment information and media-review services.

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