SEA (NYSE:SE) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded SEA from “strong sell” to “hold.” Other analysts remain broadly positive, giving the stock a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $149.40.
• SEA opened at $96.08, well below its 12-month high of $184.96. Its latest quarter showed strong revenue growth of 48.3% year over year to $7.79 billion, although earnings per share of $0.70 missed estimates.
• Insiders sold $260.4 million worth of shares over the past quarter, while institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.53% of SEA’s stock.

SEA (NYSE:SE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Monday, Zacks reports.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of SEA from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $153.00 price target on shares of SEA in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Arete Research set a $152.00 price objective on shares of SEA and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, September 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded SEA from a "sector perform" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of SEA in a report on Monday, August 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, SEA presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $149.40.

SEA Stock Performance

SE opened at $96.08 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. SEA has a 12-month low of $77.05 and a 12-month high of $184.96. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $108.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.71 billion, a PE ratio of 37.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.54.

SEA (NYSE:SE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The Internet company based in Singapore reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($0.16). SEA had a return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 5.98%. The company had revenue of $7.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.65 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 48.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that SEA will post 2.91 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at SEA

In related news, insider Feng Zhao sold 40,000 shares of SEA stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.02, for a total value of $3,800,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 93,580 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,891,971.60. The trade was a 29.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Yanjun Wang sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.87, for a total transaction of $95,870.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 81,780 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,840,248.60. This trade represents a 1.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 2,147,786 shares of company stock worth $260,357,020 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of SEA

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of SEA by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,642,304 shares of the Internet company based in Singapore's stock worth $135,999,000 after purchasing an additional 88,431 shares in the last quarter. Carrhae Capital LLP acquired a new stake in SEA in the second quarter valued at $140,501,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of SEA by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 879,107 shares of the Internet company based in Singapore's stock worth $84,245,000 after buying an additional 50,965 shares during the last quarter. Carmignac Gestion increased its holdings in SEA by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Carmignac Gestion now owns 651,818 shares of the Internet company based in Singapore's stock valued at $62,349,000 after acquiring an additional 14,242 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service lifted its holdings in shares of SEA by 10.0% in the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 605,437 shares of the Internet company based in Singapore's stock valued at $58,019,000 after purchasing an additional 54,819 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.53% of the company's stock.

SEA Company Profile

Sea Limited is a Singapore-based technology company that operates digital consumer businesses across Southeast Asia, Taiwan and selected markets in Latin America and other regions. Founded in 2009, the company was formerly known as Garena Interactive Holding Limited and changed its name to Sea Limited in 2017 before completing its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange that year.

Sea's principal businesses include Garena, a digital entertainment platform that publishes and develops online games and provides related digital content and services.

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