iQIYI (NASDAQ:IQ) Cut to Sell at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded iQIYI from a "hold" to a "sell"; analyst coverage is mixed (two Buys, one Hold, one Sell) with a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $2.55.
• Shares opened at $1.17 (the 52‑week low) and were trading down about 2.5%, with a market cap of $1.13 billion, a negative P/E, and the 50‑day moving average ($1.41) below the 200‑day ($1.84), signalling recent weakness.
• Institutional investors have been active—UBS AM raised its stake by 393% and Marshall Wace by 1,423%—and institutions now own roughly 52.7% of the company.

iQIYI (NASDAQ:IQ - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $2.22 target price on shares of iQIYI in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Zacks Research upgraded iQIYI from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of iQIYI in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $2.55.

iQIYI Trading Down 2.5%

iQIYI stock opened at $1.17 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.47. iQIYI has a fifty-two week low of $1.17 and a fifty-two week high of $2.84. The stock has a market cap of $1.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.00 and a beta of 0.26. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $1.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.84.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On iQIYI

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of IQ. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of iQIYI by 393.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 2,152,263 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,864,000 after buying an additional 1,716,011 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its stake in iQIYI by 1.6% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 432,300 shares of the company's stock worth $1,107,000 after buying an additional 6,900 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in iQIYI by 1,423.3% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,811,044 shares of the company's stock worth $5,397,000 after buying an additional 2,626,502 shares in the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC bought a new position in iQIYI during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,488,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of iQIYI by 20.8% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 29,472 shares of the company's stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 5,077 shares in the last quarter. 52.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

iQIYI Company Profile

iQIYI, Inc is a leading online entertainment service provider headquartered in Beijing, China, offering a comprehensive portfolio of streaming video content across multiple genres. The company operates a subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) platform, complemented by advertising-supported content (AVOD) and pay-per-view offerings. Its digital library encompasses original series, feature films, variety shows, animation and documentaries, catering to diverse demographic segments and viewer preferences.

Originally launched by Baidu in 2010 as an online video site, iQIYI was formally rebranded in early 2012 and has since expanded its footprint beyond China's domestic market.

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