Vivid Seats (NASDAQ:SEAT) Downgraded to Strong Sell Rating by Zacks Research

Vivid Seats (NASDAQ:SEAT) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on SEAT. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $5.65 target price on shares of Vivid Seats in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $7.00 price target on shares of Vivid Seats and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Friday. Benchmark decreased their price objective on shares of Vivid Seats from $18.00 to $10.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Vivid Seats from $12.00 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vivid Seats in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vivid Seats presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.27.

Vivid Seats Trading Up 4.4%

NASDAQ SEAT opened at $5.90 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $6.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $9.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $63.31 million, a P/E ratio of -0.09 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.60. Vivid Seats has a one year low of $5.06 and a one year high of $62.40.

Vivid Seats (NASDAQ:SEAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported ($10.39) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.81) by ($8.58). The firm had revenue of $126.81 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $137.18 million. Vivid Seats had a positive return on equity of 21.28% and a negative net margin of 75.21%. Research analysts expect that Vivid Seats will post 0.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Vivid Seats

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Deutsche Bank AG increased its holdings in Vivid Seats by 270.0% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 10,774 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 7,862 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Vivid Seats by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 297,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,000 after purchasing an additional 7,940 shares in the last quarter. Jain Global LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vivid Seats during the fourth quarter valued at about $97,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Vivid Seats by 44.0% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 51,842 shares of the company’s stock worth $374,000 after buying an additional 15,848 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP bought a new stake in shares of Vivid Seats during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $135,000. Institutional investors own 39.92% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Vivid Seats

Here are the key news stories impacting Vivid Seats this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Craig Hallum upgraded SEAT from “hold” to “buy” and set a $15 price target, signaling conviction from at least one analyst that the stock has meaningful upside. Craig Hallum Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Company provided 2026 and Q1 2026 guidance that targets a path back to profitability (FY 2026 adjusted EBITDA $30–$40M; Q1 adj. EBITDA $8–$10M; Q1 cash ~$125–$135M), which investors can view as a roadmap for operational recovery. Earnings Release & Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Benchmark lowered its price target from $18 to $10 but kept a “buy” rating — a mixed signal that still implies upside despite weaker near-term results. Benchmark PT Lowered
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC lowered its target from $12 to $8 and moved to “sector perform” — the note reduces near-term enthusiasm but still leaves modeled upside from current levels. RBC Price Target Change
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results were weak: Marketplace GOV down ~42% YoY, revenue down ~37% YoY, massive non‑cash impairment charges and a net loss of ~$429M for Q4 — the operational decline and impairments triggered the large earnings miss and pressure on equity. Q4 Financials
• Negative Sentiment: Reports say the company’s loan situation is in “deeper distress” after the weak results, highlighting elevated leverage, lower cash (quarter-end cash ~ $103M) and potential creditor concerns that could pressure the stock. Loan Distress Article
• Negative Sentiment: Management disclosed a new app-store/regulatory risk that could raise costs or limit mobile distribution over time — a potential margin headwind for a marketplace that increasingly relies on app engagement. App Store Risk Disclosure

About Vivid Seats

Vivid Seats, traded on NASDAQ under the ticker SEAT, operates an online ticket marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of live event tickets. The company specializes in facilitating purchases for sports games, concerts, theater productions and other entertainment experiences. Through its digital platform and mobile application, Vivid Seats offers real-time access to available tickets, transparent pricing and a 100% Buyer Guarantee, which ensures ticket authenticity and timely delivery.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Vivid Seats has grown from a regional reseller into one of North America’s leading ticket marketplaces.