Lionsgate Studios (NYSE:LION) Sets New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Lionsgate's shares hit a new 52‑week high intraday at $12.94 and were last trading around $12.76, with the 50‑day and 200‑day moving averages at $10.32 and $8.84 respectively, indicating technical strength.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — seven Buys, five Holds and one Sell — leaving a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $11.91, though some firms have raised targets as high as $15.00.
• Fundamentals are uneven: quarterly revenue beat estimates ($724.3M vs. $706.0M) but EPS missed ($-0.07 vs. $-0.02), the company has a negative P/E (-15.01), and analysts forecast roughly -0.53 EPS for the fiscal year.

Lionsgate Studios Corp. (NYSE:LION - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $12.94 and last traded at $12.76, with a volume of 3142987 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $12.60.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LION has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Lionsgate Studios from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Sunday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Lionsgate Studios from $9.00 to $12.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Lionsgate Studios in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Barrington Research increased their price objective on Lionsgate Studios from $11.50 to $14.50 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Benchmark lifted their target price on Lionsgate Studios from $12.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $11.91.

Lionsgate Studios Trading Up 1.3%

The business's 50-day simple moving average is $10.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $8.84. The company has a market capitalization of $3.70 billion, a P/E ratio of -15.01 and a beta of 0.56.

Lionsgate Studios (NYSE:LION - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $724.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $706.03 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Lionsgate Studios Corp. will post -0.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lionsgate Studios

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its stake in shares of Lionsgate Studios by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 53,587 shares of the company's stock worth $489,000 after buying an additional 1,200 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Lionsgate Studios by 2.9% during the third quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 60,924 shares of the company's stock valued at $420,000 after buying an additional 1,743 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Lionsgate Studios by 99.3% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,559 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,773 shares during the period. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. grew its holdings in Lionsgate Studios by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. now owns 20,925 shares of the company's stock worth $191,000 after acquiring an additional 1,900 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in Lionsgate Studios by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 37,454 shares of the company's stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 2,410 shares in the last quarter.

Lionsgate Studios Company Profile

Lionsgate Studios, operating under the ticker NYSE:LION, is a leading global entertainment company specializing in the production, acquisition and distribution of motion pictures, television programming and digital content. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and with additional operations in Vancouver, the company develops, finances and markets feature films that span a wide range of genres—from major franchise hits like The Hunger Games and John Wick to independent and specialty titles.

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