Insider Selling: Zillow Group (NASDAQ:Z) General Counsel Sells $89,151.40 in Stock

Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z) General Counsel Bradley Owens sold 2,017 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.20, for a total value of $89,151.40. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 35,957 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,589,299.40. This represents a 5.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Zillow Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ Z opened at $43.45 on Monday. Zillow Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $42.50 and a 52 week high of $93.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 482.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 2.08. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $65.62 and a 200-day moving average of $73.82.

Zillow Group (NASDAQ:Z) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The financial services provider reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $654.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $650.40 million. Zillow Group had a net margin of 0.89% and a return on equity of 0.56%. Equities research analysts forecast that Zillow Group, Inc. will post 0.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Zillow Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Zillow Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zelman & Associates upgraded Zillow from “hold” to “strong-buy,” giving the stock a near-term bullish analyst catalyst. Zacks Zelman Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Some investors/analysts view the pullback as a buying opportunity — a Seeking Alpha piece argues AI competition is not an existential threat and recommends buying the plunge, which could support bargain-hunters. Seeking Alpha: Buy The Plunge
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 revenue of about $654M slightly topped Wall Street’s estimate, a mild positive for top-line momentum but not enough to offset the EPS miss. Benzinga: Earnings Recap
• Negative Sentiment: Zillow missed on adjusted EPS ($0.39 vs. $0.42 expected), which is the primary driver cited for the recent selloff and the weekly/near-term price weakness. Benzinga: Earnings Miss
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has hit a new 52‑week / 12‑month low, reflecting investor concern and technical weakness that can prompt further selling. Investing.com: 52-Week Low
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders — including the general counsel, CTO, COO and CAO — sold shares in mid‑February, which may be interpreted negatively by the market even if the trades are routine. (SEC filings disclose the trades.) SEC Form 4 Insider Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing litigation and related disclosures remain a drag on sentiment and are cited in coverage as an additional headwind for the stock. MSN: Litigation Pressure
• Negative Sentiment: Broader analyst and media coverage highlights the projected earnings shortfall as the catalyst for the sharp weekly decline, reinforcing negative sentiment. The Motley Fool: Why Stock Dropped

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Zillow Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on Zillow Group from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Zillow Group from $94.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Zillow Group in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Zillow Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $90.60.

Institutional Trading of Zillow Group

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new position in Zillow Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $196,677,000. Scge Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Zillow Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $133,990,000. L1 Capital Pty Ltd grew its position in shares of Zillow Group by 24,803.7% in the 4th quarter. L1 Capital Pty Ltd now owns 1,729,313 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $117,974,000 after purchasing an additional 1,722,369 shares during the period. Eminence Capital LP increased its stake in Zillow Group by 63.6% during the 2nd quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 3,978,731 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $278,710,000 after purchasing an additional 1,546,577 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Soma Equity Partners LP raised its holdings in Zillow Group by 389.5% during the 3rd quarter. Soma Equity Partners LP now owns 1,468,492 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $113,147,000 after buying an additional 1,168,492 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.01% of the company’s stock.

About Zillow Group

Zillow Group, Inc is an online real estate marketplace company that operates a portfolio of consumer-facing websites and mobile apps designed to connect buyers, sellers, renters, homeowners and real estate professionals. The company’s platforms aggregate property listings, rental listings, and related information to help users search for homes, estimate property values and connect with agents and service providers. Zillow generates revenue primarily through advertising and lead-generation services for real estate professionals, property managers and mortgage lenders.

Key products and services include the Zillow and Trulia consumer websites and apps, which provide searchable listings, photos, neighborhood data and the company’s automated home valuation tool known as the “Zestimate.” Zillow also offers a rentals marketplace, a mortgage marketplace and tools for home buying and selling such as Zillow Premier Agent for agent advertising and leads, as well as ancillary services designed to support transactions, including closing and title-related offerings.