Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) Stock Price Down 5.8% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Starz Entertainment Corp. (NASDAQ:STRZ) traded down 5.8% during mid-day trading on Monday. The stock traded as low as $19.70 and last traded at $20.91. Approximately 379,875 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 29% from the average daily volume of 294,700 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.19.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STRZ has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Starz Entertainment from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Starz Entertainment in a research note on Monday, September 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $30.00 price objective on shares of Starz Entertainment in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 target price on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of Starz Entertainment in a report on Monday, September 14th. They set a “market outperform” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.71.

Starz Entertainment Trading Up 4.3%

The stock has a market capitalization of $385.20 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.88 and a beta of 2.55. The company’s 50-day moving average is $24.91 and its 200-day moving average is $20.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05.

Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported ($11.27) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.59) by ($10.68). The firm had revenue of $307.90 million during the quarter. Starz Entertainment had a negative net margin of 33.98% and a negative return on equity of 25.64%. Research analysts anticipate that Starz Entertainment Corp. will post -6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Starz Entertainment news, CEO Jeffrey Hirsch acquired 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $24.80 per share, for a total transaction of $248,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 65,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,612,000. The trade was a 18.18% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider James Kapenstein acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $25.73 per share, with a total value of $25,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 12,302 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $316,530.46. This trade represents a 8.85% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 22.62% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starz Entertainment

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ratan Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Starz Entertainment during the 2nd quarter worth about $368,000. Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Starz Entertainment in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,056,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Starz Entertainment in the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,027,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Starz Entertainment in the second quarter valued at about $1,774,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in Starz Entertainment in the second quarter valued at about $887,000.

Starz Entertainment Company Profile

Starz Entertainment Corp. is a media and entertainment company that operates premium subscription television and streaming services. Its offerings include the STARZ premium network, related linear television channels and the STARZ streaming platform, which provides original series, feature films and licensed entertainment content.

The company’s programming has included original dramas, comedies and franchises, as well as a selection of theatrical and television movies. STARZ content is distributed through traditional pay-TV providers, digital platforms and direct-to-consumer subscriptions, with availability varying by market and distribution partner.

Starz was established in 1994 as a premium television service and was acquired by Lionsgate in 2016.