Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN) Sets New 1-Year Low - Here's Why

Key Points

• Shares hit a 52‑week low at $18.13 on Thursday (last $18.2250) on about 939,512 shares traded, and the stock is trading below its 50‑day ($21.66) and 200‑day ($25.04) moving averages with a market cap of $11.05B.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with a consensus "Hold" and an average price target of $32.71 (1 Strong Buy, 2 Buy, 6 Hold), while Jefferies upgraded to Strong‑Buy and Barclays trimmed its target to $32.00.
• Fundamentals show a modest quarterly beat (EPS $0.64 vs. $0.63) and revenue up 25.8% y/y, but the company has high leverage (debt/equity 3.50); it pays a $0.50 annualized dividend (2.7% yield) and gave FY‑2026 EPS guidance of 2.54–2.56.

Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $18.13 and last traded at $18.2250, with a volume of 939512 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $18.89.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on GEN shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Gen Digital from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Gen Digital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, March 29th. Barclays cut their target price on Gen Digital from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Gen Digital in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Gen Digital from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Gen Digital has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $32.71.

Gen Digital Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $11.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.83, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.50, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.47. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $21.66 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.04.

Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.23 billion. Gen Digital had a net margin of 12.76% and a return on equity of 56.76%. Gen Digital's quarterly revenue was up 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $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, equities research analysts anticipate that Gen Digital Inc. will post 2.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Gen Digital Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 16th were paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Gen Digital's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.55%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Gen Digital during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in Gen Digital by 92.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,104 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 529 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management boosted its stake in Gen Digital by 1,183.3% during the third quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,078 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 994 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Gen Digital by 48.6% during the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,223 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Gen Digital by 65.8% during the fourth quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,539 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 611 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.38% of the company's stock.

About Gen Digital

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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