Zacks Research Downgrades New York Times (NYSE:NYT) to Hold

New York Times (NYSE:NYT) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on NYT. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of New York Times from $87.00 to $80.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Morgan Stanley set a $90.00 price objective on shares of New York Times in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of New York Times in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $95.00 target price on shares of New York Times in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $92.00 target price on shares of New York Times in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $82.89.

New York Times Stock Performance

NYT stock opened at $63.53 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $10.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.47, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.95. New York Times has a fifty-two week low of $54.10 and a fifty-two week high of $87.10. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $73.26 and a 200-day moving average of $76.13.

New York Times (NYSE:NYT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $762.46 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $752.01 million. New York Times had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 13.19%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.58 EPS. Equities analysts predict that New York Times will post 2.92 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP William Bardeen sold 4,121 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.85, for a total value of $320,819.85. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,133,496. This trade represents a 22.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jacqueline M. Welch sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.14, for a total value of $296,560.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,873 shares in the company, valued at $1,769,944.22. The trade was a 14.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 17,121 shares of company stock worth $1,310,920 in the last ninety days. 1.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in shares of New York Times during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $351,664,000. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in New York Times by 10,018.3% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 2,316,172 shares of the company’s stock worth $160,789,000 after purchasing an additional 2,293,281 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in New York Times by 78.1% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 4,187,888 shares of the company’s stock worth $233,265,000 after purchasing an additional 1,836,788 shares during the last quarter. Egerton Capital UK LLP bought a new stake in New York Times in the 4th quarter worth approximately $97,882,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP grew its position in New York Times by 98.5% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 2,055,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $117,993,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020,031 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.37% of the company’s stock.

More New York Times News

Here are the key news stories impacting New York Times this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations. The New York Times reported earnings of $0.69 per share versus the $0.67 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 11.2% year over year to $762.5 million, helped by digital subscriptions, higher average revenue per user and stronger digital advertising. The New York Times Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates as Digital Ads Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth and pricing power support the long-term investment case. The company’s subscription ecosystem, ability to raise prices and continued digital expansion could support recurring revenue and profitability over time. Should Investors Buy Hold or Wait on NYT Amid Growth and Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity points to some bullish positioning. Investors purchased NYT call options in unusually high volume, suggesting that some market participants anticipate a rebound or further upside, although options activity is speculative and does not change the company’s fundamentals. Investors Buy High Volume of New York Times Call Options
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent weakness has created a valuation debate. NYT shares have decreased 12.8% over the past month and trade below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. That decline could attract value-oriented buyers, but investors remain divided over whether the stock’s valuation adequately reflects its growth prospects. NYT Stock Fell 12.8% in One Month Can Weakness Create Opportunity
• Negative Sentiment: Subscriber momentum moderated. While digital performance remained strong, slower subscriber additions raise concerns about how easily NYT can sustain its growth rate and expand its subscription base.
• Negative Sentiment: Costs and valuation remain headwinds. Rising expenses could limit margin expansion, while the stock’s valuation leaves less room for execution setbacks. These concerns are contributing to a “hold or wait” stance among some investors. NYT Earnings Show Digital Growth as Subscriber Momentum Moderates

About New York Times

The New York Times Company is a publicly traded media organization best known for publishing The New York Times newspaper and operating the NYTimes.com digital platform. The company produces daily print and digital journalism covering national and international news, opinion pieces, feature stories, and multimedia content. Alongside its flagship newspaper, the firm offers a range of subscription-based services, including Times Cooking, NYT Games, podcasts and newsletters, designed to engage a broad audience of readers and advertisers.

Founded in 1851 by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones, The New York Times has built a reputation for in-depth reporting and investigative journalism.