Zacks Research Predicts Stronger Earnings for Gen Digital

Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Gen Digital in a report issued on Wednesday, October 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $2.26 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $2.25. The consensus estimate for Gen Digital's current full-year earnings is $2.05 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Gen Digital's Q4 2026 earnings at $0.57 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.61 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.53 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.67 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.80 EPS.

GEN has been the topic of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Gen Digital from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Gen Digital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, October 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Gen Digital in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Gen Digital from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Gen Digital in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. They issued a "hold" rating and a $31.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $35.71.

Gen Digital Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GEN opened at $26.47 on Friday. Gen Digital has a fifty-two week low of $22.74 and a fifty-two week high of $32.22. The business has a 50-day moving average of $29.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $28.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.63, a current ratio of 0.50 and a quick ratio of 0.50.

Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.04. Gen Digital had a return on equity of 57.99% and a net margin of 14.12%.The company had revenue of $1.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.53 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 30.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Gen Digital has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.600-0.620 EPS. FY 2026 guidance at 2.490-2.560 EPS.

Gen Digital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 18th were issued a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 18th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Gen Digital's dividend payout ratio is 51.55%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gen Digital

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. acquired a new position in Gen Digital in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Gen Digital by 117.6% in the 1st quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,580 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 854 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in Gen Digital in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Gen Digital by 221.5% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,717 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in Gen Digital in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.38% of the company's stock.

About Gen Digital

Gen Digital Inc engages in the provision of cyber safety solutions for consumers in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. The company offers security and performance products under Norton, Avast, Avira, AVG, and CCleaner brands that provide real-time protection and maintenance for PCs, Macs, and mobile devices against malware, viruses, adware, and other online threats.

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