Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) has received a rating upgrade from Wall Street Zen, moving from a "sell" to a "hold" rating.
• The stock has seen various analysts offering ratings, with the average rating now at "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $25.00.
• Starz recently reported a quarterly earnings miss, with an EPS of ($2.54), falling short of the consensus estimate by ($1.15).

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Starz Entertainment to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, May 18th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Starz Entertainment from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 15th. Benchmark initiated coverage on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $39.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Starz Entertainment to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $22.00 price objective (up from $19.00) on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research report on Friday, May 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $25.00.

Starz Entertainment Stock Performance

NASDAQ STRZ traded up $0.44 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $13.50. 240,210 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 170,409. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.52. Starz Entertainment has a 1 year low of $8.00 and a 1 year high of $22.98.

Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 14th. The company reported ($2.54) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.39) by ($1.15). The business had revenue of $319.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $328.70 million.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Mark H. Md Rachesky acquired 353,334 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $14.15 per share, for a total transaction of $4,999,676.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 471,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,666,814.95. This trade represents a 299.90% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Joshua W. Sapan acquired 5,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $17.98 per share, with a total value of $98,890.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 5,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at $98,890. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 53.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Starz Entertainment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in Starz Entertainment during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Diametric Capital LP acquired a new stake in Starz Entertainment during the second quarter worth about $369,000. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey acquired a new stake in Starz Entertainment during the second quarter worth about $49,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Starz Entertainment during the second quarter worth about $4,470,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in Starz Entertainment during the second quarter worth about $806,000.

About Starz Entertainment

Starz is a premium cable and streaming network owned by Starz Entertainment, which was formerly a part of Lionsgate. Starz had about 20 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada as of Dec. 31, 2024. The company's franchises include “Outlander” and “Power."