Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at B. Riley Financial

Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) was upgraded by equities researchers at B. Riley Financial to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on STRZ. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Starz Entertainment in a report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $26.00 price objective on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $29.00 price objective on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research report on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Starz Entertainment from $13.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $30.00 target price on shares of Starz Entertainment and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $30.71.

Starz Entertainment Stock Performance

NASDAQ STRZ opened at $30.21 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $505.41 million, a P/E ratio of -1.80 and a beta of 2.33. Starz Entertainment has a 1-year low of $8.40 and a 1-year high of $32.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $23.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Starz Entertainment news, EVP Jason Wyrick sold 2,803 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.47, for a total value of $71,392.41. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 27,241 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $693,828.27. This trade represents a 9.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Scott D. Macdonald acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $20.59 per share, for a total transaction of $102,950.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 18,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $386,206.63. This trade represents a 36.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 22.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Starz Entertainment during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,076,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in Starz Entertainment by 632.9% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 210,771 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,466,000 after buying an additional 182,012 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its position in Starz Entertainment by 547.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 175,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,583,000 after buying an additional 148,230 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Starz Entertainment during the second quarter valued at about $2,212,000. Finally, Alpine Global Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Starz Entertainment during the third quarter valued at about $1,948,000.

About Starz Entertainment

Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ: STRZ) is a global media and entertainment company that operates premium subscription video services across linear television and digital streaming platforms. The company’s core offering includes the STARZ and STARZ ENCORE linear networks in the United States, alongside its STARZPLAY streaming service, which is available in North America, parts of Europe, Latin America and select Asian markets. Through its multi-platform distribution strategy, Starz delivers a combination of original programming, feature films and licensed series to a broad subscriber base.

At the heart of Starz Entertainment’s business is its investment in original content production.