Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) Share Price Breaks Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $50.47 and traded as high as $59.29. Ziff Davis shares last traded at $57.15, with a volume of 608,024 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ZD shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ziff Davis to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Ziff Davis from $60.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Ziff Davis in a report on Friday, September 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ziff Davis from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $48.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $59.75.

Ziff Davis Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $56.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $50.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 2.16. The stock has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a PE ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 1.11.

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The technology company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $286.74 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $286.10 million. Ziff Davis had a return on equity of 10.73% and a net margin of 48.57%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.24 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Ziff Davis, Inc. will post 4.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Lori Tansley sold 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.76, for a total value of $76,664.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 767 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,000.92. This represents a 64.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director W. Brian Kretzmer sold 2,513 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.31, for a total transaction of $138,994.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 20,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,106,200. This represents a 11.16% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 7,732 shares of company stock worth $425,436 over the last ninety days. 3.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in Ziff Davis during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $187,893,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Ziff Davis during the second quarter worth $94,314,000. Pale Fire Capital SE lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $116,790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,573,414 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Finally, Rice Hall James & Associates LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ziff Davis in the second quarter valued at $43,022,000. 99.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ziff Davis Company Profile

Ziff Davis, Inc (NASDAQ:ZD) is a digital media and technology company that creates content, services and online experiences for consumers and businesses. Its portfolio spans technology, gaming and entertainment, shopping, health and wellness, and cybersecurity and marketing technology.

The company operates a range of digital brands and platforms, including IGN, PCMag, Mashable, Lifehacker, RetailMeNot, Ookla, Spiceworks and Humble Bundle. Its offerings include editorial content and reviews, consumer purchase guidance, gaming and entertainment coverage, internet-performance testing, software and data services, and business-to-business marketing solutions.

Ziff Davis traces its origins to the magazine publisher founded in 1927 by William Bernard Ziff and Bernard G.