Zillow Group (NASDAQ:Z) CAO Sells $39,281.66 in Stock

Key Points

• Zillow CAO Jennifer Rock sold 1,034 shares on May 14 at an average price of $37.99, totaling about $39,281.66. The filing said the sale was to cover tax withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards.
• Zillow’s latest earnings beat expectations, reporting $0.53 EPS versus the $0.43 consensus, while revenue came in at $708 million, slightly above estimates. The company also posted a net margin of 2.27% and return on equity of 1.41%.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.75. However, some firms recently trimmed targets, and the stock is also facing investor attention from legal investigations and other insider sales.

Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z - Get Free Report) CAO Jennifer Rock sold 1,034 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.99, for a total transaction of $39,281.66. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 59,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,269,598.58. The trade was a 1.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Zillow Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:Z traded up $0.29 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $37.66. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,075,721 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,082,034. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $43.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $57.40. The company has a market cap of $8.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 150.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 2.07. Zillow Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $36.76 and a 12-month high of $93.88.

Zillow Group (NASDAQ:Z - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $708.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $705.10 million. Zillow Group had a net margin of 2.27% and a return on equity of 1.41%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Zillow Group, Inc. will post 0.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Zillow Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Zillow Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zillow published new survey data supporting its marketplace strategy, showing most soon-to-be sellers prefer broad public exposure over private listing networks. The findings reinforce Zillow’s argument that full-market visibility and real-time demand signals help sellers achieve better outcomes. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman was featured in an interview about the company’s evolution from a desktop-only search engine into a major real-estate app. The article is more of a branding/strategy profile than a near-term financial catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: General Counsel Bradley D. Owens sold shares on May 14 and May 15, though the trades were made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and were tied to tax withholding from vesting equity awards. Insider sales can still weigh on sentiment when the stock is already under legal scrutiny.
• Negative Sentiment: Several plaintiff-side law firms announced investigations into Zillow, increasing the risk of distraction, legal costs, and possible headline pressure on the shares. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Zillow Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Zillow Group in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Zillow Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on shares of Zillow Group from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Zillow Group from $84.00 to $76.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $79.75.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Zillow Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Zillow Group during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Zillow Group during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Zillow Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. increased its position in shares of Zillow Group by 58.6% during the third quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 441 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pittenger & Anderson Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Zillow Group by 32.8% in the third quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 546 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. 71.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.