Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts' consensus: Zillow has a consensus recommendation of Hold from 14 covering firms, with an average 1‑year price target of $90.60 and a split of 1 sell, 8 holds, 3 buys and 2 strong buys.
• Insider selling has been active — insiders sold 60,801 shares worth $2,683,986 over the last 90 days (including Dan Spaulding and Errol G. Samuelson), and insiders still own 25.03% of the stock.
• Zillow missed on EPS in its latest quarter ($0.39 vs. $0.42 consensus) while revenue was roughly in line at $654M; the stock trades at a high P/E of 518.5, market cap ~$11.2B, and a 12‑month range of $41.91–$93.88.

Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $90.60.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Zillow Group in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Zillow Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Zillow Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays raised shares of Zillow Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on Zillow Group from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 9th.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Dan Spaulding sold 5,361 shares of Zillow Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.95, for a total transaction of $235,615.95. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 41,080 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,805,466. This trade represents a 11.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Errol G. Samuelson sold 7,015 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.21, for a total value of $310,133.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 113,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,031,098. This represents a 5.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 60,801 shares of company stock worth $2,683,986. 25.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Zillow Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Zillow Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Zillow Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Zillow Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. grew its stake in Zillow Group by 58.6% during the third quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 441 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Zillow Group by 58.2% in the second quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 503 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. 71.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Zillow Group Trading Up 1.8%

Z opened at $46.66 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 518.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 2.10. Zillow Group has a 12 month low of $41.91 and a 12 month high of $93.88. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $58.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $70.27.

Zillow Group (NASDAQ:Z - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The financial services provider reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $654.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $650.40 million. Zillow Group had a net margin of 0.89% and a return on equity of 0.56%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Zillow Group will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Zillow Group

Zillow Group, Inc is an online real estate marketplace company that operates a portfolio of consumer-facing websites and mobile apps designed to connect buyers, sellers, renters, homeowners and real estate professionals. The company's platforms aggregate property listings, rental listings, and related information to help users search for homes, estimate property values and connect with agents and service providers. Zillow generates revenue primarily through advertising and lead-generation services for real estate professionals, property managers and mortgage lenders.

Key products and services include the Zillow and Trulia consumer websites and apps, which provide searchable listings, photos, neighborhood data and the company's automated home valuation tool known as the “Zestimate.” Zillow also offers a rentals marketplace, a mortgage marketplace and tools for home buying and selling such as Zillow Premier Agent for agent advertising and leads, as well as ancillary services designed to support transactions, including closing and title-related offerings.

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