Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) Stock

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Barclays from $34.00 to $45.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the technology company’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 9.33% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also commented on ZD. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ziff Davis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Ziff Davis from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Ziff Davis from $38.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $46.00 price target on shares of Ziff Davis in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Ziff Davis in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ziff Davis has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $38.75.

Ziff Davis Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of ZD traded down $0.32 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $41.16. The company had a trading volume of 440,744 shares, compared to its average volume of 986,032. The stock has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.42 and a beta of 1.50. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $34.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Ziff Davis has a 52 week low of $22.45 and a 52 week high of $50.55.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ziff Davis

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Federated Hermes Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ziff Davis in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Ziff Davis by 149.8% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,029 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its position in Ziff Davis by 121.3% in the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 885 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Ziff Davis by 212.2% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 868 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 590 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Ziff Davis by 207.1% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 906 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 611 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.76% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Ziff Davis

Here are the key news stories impacting Ziff Davis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The $1.2B cash sale to Accenture validates hidden asset value, materially reshapes Ziff Davis’s balance sheet and was the clear catalyst for the share rally. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: The deal specifically includes major Connectivity assets such as Ookla and Downdetector—highly strategic network intelligence tools that attracted a strategic buyer. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: The cash proceeds give ZD flexibility to accelerate share repurchases, pay down debt or redeploy into core digital-media growth areas—actions that should be EPS-accretive and shareholder-friendly. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company management and analysts are discussing strategic implications and next steps in earnings/transcript coverage; investors will watch management’s capital allocation plan. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mainstream press and the company release confirm deal terms and timing; treat these as official details but not a replacement for management’s forthcoming capital-allocation guidance. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Q4 results showed revenue slipping to $406.7M and lower net income, a reminder that core-media operations still face growth/margin pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: A securities investigation by Levi & Korsinsky into how ZD presented adjusted EBITDA/adjusted EPS metrics introduces regulatory/legal risk and could create near-term headline volatility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors previously reacted negatively to the weak quarter (shares fell on the report), so any uncertainty about how proceeds will be used or about ongoing results could produce pullbacks. Read More.

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.