Starz Entertainment Corp. (NASDAQ:STRZ) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts collectively rate Starz Entertainment “Hold.” Of eight analysts, four recommend holding, two recommend buying, one issues a strong buy, and one recommends selling; the average 12-month price target is $30.83.
• STRZ opened at $25.01, with a market capitalization of approximately $418 million. The stock has traded between $8.40 and $32.58 over the past year, while its 50-day and 200-day moving averages are $27.19 and $19.30, respectively.
• Institutional interest has increased, including new stakes from BlackRock, Geode Capital Management and Bank of New York Mellon. Corporate insiders own 22.62% of the company, with a recent insider purchase partly offset by an executive sale.

Starz Entertainment Corp. (NASDAQ:STRZ - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Hold" by the eight research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $30.8333.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Starz Entertainment from $13.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Starz Entertainment from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 target price on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research note on Monday. Robert W. Baird set a $30.00 target price on shares of Starz Entertainment and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $29.00 price target on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research report on Friday, May 8th.

Starz Entertainment Stock Performance

Shares of STRZ stock opened at $25.01 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $418.42 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.98 and a beta of 2.46. Starz Entertainment has a one year low of $8.40 and a one year high of $32.58. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $27.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $19.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.31.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider James M. Kapenstein purchased 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $25.73 per share, for a total transaction of $25,730.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 12,302 shares of the company's stock, valued at $316,530.46. This trade represents a 8.85% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jason Wyrick sold 2,803 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.47, for a total value of $71,392.41. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 27,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $693,828.27. This trade represents a 9.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 22.62% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starz Entertainment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Starz Entertainment during the second quarter valued at approximately $35,599,000. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Starz Entertainment by 15.5% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 710,862 shares of the company's stock worth $8,317,000 after buying an additional 95,245 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP grew its holdings in Starz Entertainment by 21.5% in the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 440,645 shares of the company's stock worth $5,156,000 after buying an additional 78,000 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Starz Entertainment in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,076,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Starz Entertainment in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $9,018,000.

About Starz Entertainment

Starz Entertainment NASDAQ: STRZ is a global media and entertainment company that operates premium subscription video services across linear television and digital streaming platforms. The company's core offering includes the STARZ and STARZ ENCORE linear networks in the United States, alongside its STARZPLAY streaming service, which is available in North America, parts of Europe, Latin America and select Asian markets. Through its multi-platform distribution strategy, Starz delivers a combination of original programming, feature films and licensed series to a broad subscriber base.

At the heart of Starz Entertainment's business is its investment in original content production.

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