Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ:CZR) Stock Price

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus lowered its price target on Caesars from $36 to $35 but kept a buy rating, implying roughly a 28% upside from the current share price.
• Analyst consensus is more tempered — a MarketBeat average rating of Hold with a $32.87 consensus target and a split of 9 Buys, 7 Holds and 1 Sell.
• Caesars missed quarterly EPS (reported -$0.48 vs. -$0.19 est.) despite a slight revenue beat ($2.87B), remains unprofitable with negative net margin and ROE, and its shares trade around $27.31 (12‑month range $17.86–$31.58).

Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ:CZR - Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $36.00 to $35.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus' price objective points to a potential upside of 28.16% from the company's current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Caesars Entertainment from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Caesars Entertainment from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Caesars Entertainment from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Caesars Entertainment from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Caesars Entertainment from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $32.87.

Caesars Entertainment Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of CZR stock opened at $27.31 on Wednesday. Caesars Entertainment has a twelve month low of $17.86 and a twelve month high of $31.58. The stock has a market cap of $5.56 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.24 and a beta of 1.87. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $26.09 and a 200 day moving average of $23.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.17.

Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ:CZR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported ($0.48) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.19) by ($0.29). Caesars Entertainment had a negative net margin of 4.37% and a negative return on equity of 7.97%. The company had revenue of $2.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.54) earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Caesars Entertainment will post -0.12 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Caesars Entertainment by 29.8% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 16,193,070 shares of the company's stock worth $437,622,000 after buying an additional 3,716,148 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Caesars Entertainment by 0.8% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,569,822 shares of the company's stock valued at $214,907,000 after purchasing an additional 61,065 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in Caesars Entertainment by 121.0% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,141,899 shares of the company's stock valued at $167,049,000 after purchasing an additional 3,910,430 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its stake in Caesars Entertainment by 246,899,900.0% in the fourth quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 4,938,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $115,500,000 after buying an additional 4,937,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in Caesars Entertainment by 33.2% in the first quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 4,359,946 shares of the company's stock valued at $115,233,000 after buying an additional 1,085,516 shares in the last quarter. 91.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caesars Entertainment Company Profile

Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a leading integrated gaming and hospitality company headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company owns and operates a global portfolio of resorts, casinos, and entertainment venues designed to deliver comprehensive hospitality experiences. Its business activities span hotel accommodations, gaming operations, food and beverage services, live events, and convention services, with a focus on delivering luxury and entertainment to both leisure and business travelers.

The company traces its lineage to the founding of Harrah's by William F.

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