Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $53.43 and last traded at $53.2550, with a volume of 199825 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $52.43.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ZD has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research cut Ziff Davis from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays increased their price objective on Ziff Davis from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Ziff Davis from $45.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Ziff Davis from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $48.00 price target on shares of Ziff Davis in a report on Monday, May 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ziff Davis presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $47.25.

Ziff Davis Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a PE ratio of 47.29 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The business has a fifty day moving average of $45.68 and a 200-day moving average of $40.67.

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The technology company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.01. Ziff Davis had a return on equity of 12.17% and a net margin of 3.26%.The business had revenue of $267.64 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $264.32 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.14 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ziff Davis, Inc. will post 4.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ziff Davis

In other Ziff Davis news, EVP Jeremy Rossen sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total value of $376,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 14,462 shares in the company, valued at approximately $679,714. This represents a 35.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Kirk P. Mcdonald sold 1,075 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.65, for a total transaction of $50,148.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 13,468 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $628,282.20. This represents a 7.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,422 shares of company stock valued at $1,468,864. 3.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ziff Davis

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in shares of Ziff Davis by 17.1% in the 1st quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 2,189 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $92,000 after acquiring an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. grew its stake in Ziff Davis by 121.2% in the fourth quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 885 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in Ziff Davis by 1.4% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 41,167 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,246,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Ziff Davis by 212.2% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 868 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Ziff Davis by 207.1% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 906 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 611 shares during the period. 99.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.