Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD) Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate Ziff Davis “Hold” overall: Of nine analysts, five recommend holding, three recommend buying and one recommends selling. The average 12-month price target is $53, versus shares opening at $54.31.
• Quarterly earnings exceeded expectations: Ziff Davis reported adjusted EPS of $1.03, beating the $0.81 consensus, while revenue of $286.74 million slightly topped estimates. However, revenue fell 18.7% year over year.
• Institutional ownership remains high, while insiders have sold shares: Institutions own 99.76% of the stock, with several major funds increasing their positions. Company insiders sold 31,422 shares worth approximately $1.47 million over the past 90 days.

Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the nine analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $53.00.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ZD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Ziff Davis from $48.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ziff Davis from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $64.00 price objective on shares of Ziff Davis in a research note on Monday. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Ziff Davis from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Ziff Davis from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th.

Ziff Davis Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ZD opened at $54.31 on Tuesday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $50.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Ziff Davis has a 52-week low of $22.45 and a 52-week high of $58.06.

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The technology company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $286.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $286.10 million. Ziff Davis had a return on equity of 10.73% and a net margin of 48.57%.Ziff Davis's revenue for the quarter was down 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.24 EPS.

Insider Activity at Ziff Davis

In related news, CFO Bret Richter sold 18,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.88, for a total value of $843,840.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 29,244 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,370,958.72. This represents a 38.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jeremy Rossen sold 8,000 shares of Ziff Davis stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total value of $376,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 14,462 shares in the company, valued at approximately $679,714. This trade represents a 35.62% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,422 shares of company stock valued at $1,468,864. Company insiders own 3.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ziff Davis

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ZD. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of Ziff Davis by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,526,329 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $147,963,000 after acquiring an additional 92,496 shares in the last quarter. Pale Fire Capital SE boosted its position in Ziff Davis by 130.0% during the first quarter. Pale Fire Capital SE now owns 2,783,366 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $116,790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,573,414 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Ziff Davis by 689.6% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 974,591 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $40,894,000 after purchasing an additional 851,163 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management grew its stake in Ziff Davis by 17.5% in the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 907,721 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $31,906,000 after purchasing an additional 135,021 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Ziff Davis by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 860,582 shares of the technology company's stock worth $30,249,000 after purchasing an additional 82,761 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.76% of the company's stock.

About Ziff Davis

Ziff Davis, Inc is a digital media and internet company that operates a diverse portfolio of online brands, subscription-based services and performance marketing platforms. The company specializes in technology publishing and digital marketing solutions, offering content, reviews and insights tailored to consumer and enterprise audiences. Ziff Davis's flagship media properties include PCMag, which provides expert reviews and comparisons of consumer electronics and software, as well as IGN, a leading destination for gaming news, reviews and entertainment coverage.

Founded in 1927 by William B.

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