Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) Sets New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock 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

A number of analysts recently commented on ZD shares. Weiss Ratings raised Ziff Davis from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Ziff Davis from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report 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 research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $61.00 target price on shares of Ziff Davis in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Ziff Davis from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ziff Davis currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $47.25.

Ziff Davis Stock Down 2.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a market capitalization of $1.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.05 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a 50-day moving average of $45.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.92.

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The technology company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $264.32 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Insider Activity at Ziff Davis

In related news, CFO Bret Richter sold 18,000 shares of Ziff Davis stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.88, for a total transaction of $843,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 29,244 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,370,958.72. This trade represents a 38.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Kirk P. Mcdonald sold 1,075 shares of the company’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 owned 13,468 shares in the company, valued at approximately $628,282.20. This trade represents a 7.39% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 31,422 shares of company stock valued at $1,468,864 in the last three months. Company insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ziff Davis

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ZD. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Ziff Davis by 2.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 160,656 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $6,037,000 after acquiring an additional 3,696 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Ziff Davis by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 188,595 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $5,709,000 after purchasing an additional 2,347 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Ziff Davis by 46.2% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 100,549 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $3,044,000 after purchasing an additional 31,765 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in Ziff Davis in the 2nd quarter worth about $927,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC bought a new position in Ziff Davis in the 2nd quarter worth about $380,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.76% of the company’s stock.

Ziff Davis Company Profile

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.