Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN) Reaches New 52-Week Low - What's Next?

Key Points

• Gen Digital shares hit a new 52-week low, trading as low as $20.46 (last $20.61) on heavy volume and sitting below its 50- and 200-day moving averages ($23.83 and $26.19).
• The company slightly beat quarterly estimates with $0.64 EPS and $1.24B revenue (revenue +25.8% YoY) and set FY2026 EPS guidance of 2.540–2.560, though it shows high leverage (debt-to-equity 3.50) and a low current ratio (0.47).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed—MarketBeat lists an average rating of "Hold" with a $32.71 average price target despite some upgrades—and Gen Digital pays a $0.50 annualized dividend (yield ~2.4%).

Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $20.46 and last traded at $20.61, with a volume of 6812835 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $20.68.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on GEN. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Gen Digital from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Barclays reduced their price target on Gen Digital from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Gen Digital in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Gen Digital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Gen Digital from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Gen Digital currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $32.71.

Gen Digital Trading Down 0.3%

The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $23.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.19. The company has a market capitalization of $12.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.50, a current ratio of 0.47 and a quick ratio of 0.47.

Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. Gen Digital had a return on equity of 56.76% and a net margin of 12.76%.The firm's revenue was up 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.56 EPS. Gen Digital has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.640-0.660 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.540-2.560 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Gen Digital Inc. will post 2.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gen Digital Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 16th were given a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Gen Digital's dividend payout ratio is presently 51.55%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gen Digital

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Gen Digital by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,703,712 shares of the company's stock worth $71,757,000 after buying an additional 28,522 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in Gen Digital in the 1st quarter worth $205,000. Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in Gen Digital by 37.8% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 27,590 shares of the company's stock worth $732,000 after acquiring an additional 7,562 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in Gen Digital by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 22,347 shares of the company's stock worth $593,000 after acquiring an additional 1,980 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Gen Digital by 221.5% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,717 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,183 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.38% of the company's stock.

Gen Digital Company Profile

Gen Digital NASDAQ: GEN is a global cybersecurity company specializing in consumer- and small-business-focused security, privacy, and identity protection solutions. The company offers a suite of products designed to safeguard devices, networks, and personal information against malware, ransomware, phishing attacks and other digital threats. With a focus on user-friendly interfaces and cross-platform compatibility, Gen Digital develops antivirus software, VPN services, parental controls, password management tools, and comprehensive identity-theft monitoring services.

Gen Digital traces its origins to the consumer software division of Symantec Corporation, which was spun off in late 2019 under the NortonLifeLock name.

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