Vivid Seats (NASDAQ:SEAT) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong Sell”

Zacks Research lowered shares of Vivid Seats (NASDAQ:SEAT) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note published on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on SEAT. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $10.00 target price on shares of Vivid Seats and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vivid Seats in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Vivid Seats from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Benchmark decreased their price objective on Vivid Seats from $18.00 to $10.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Finally, Craig Hallum upgraded Vivid Seats from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $15.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vivid Seats currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $14.27.

Vivid Seats Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ SEAT opened at $5.90 on Thursday. Vivid Seats has a 1-year low of $5.06 and a 1-year high of $62.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $63.31 million, a PE ratio of -0.09 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $6.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $9.86.

Vivid Seats (NASDAQ:SEAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported ($10.39) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.81) by ($8.58). Vivid Seats had a positive return on equity of 21.28% and a negative net margin of 75.21%.The firm had revenue of $126.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $137.18 million. On average, research analysts expect that Vivid Seats will post 0.12 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vivid Seats

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vivid Seats in the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Vivid Seats during the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Rangeley Capital LLC acquired a new position in Vivid Seats during the second quarter worth about $42,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Vivid Seats during the second quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG raised its position in Vivid Seats by 270.0% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 10,774 shares of the company’s stock worth $78,000 after acquiring an additional 7,862 shares in the last quarter. 39.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Vivid Seats News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vivid Seats this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Craig Hallum upgraded SEAT from “hold” to “buy” and set a $15 price target, signaling conviction from at least one analyst that the stock has meaningful upside. Craig Hallum Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Company provided 2026 and Q1 2026 guidance that targets a path back to profitability (FY 2026 adjusted EBITDA $30–$40M; Q1 adj. EBITDA $8–$10M; Q1 cash ~$125–$135M), which investors can view as a roadmap for operational recovery. Earnings Release & Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Benchmark lowered its price target from $18 to $10 but kept a “buy” rating — a mixed signal that still implies upside despite weaker near-term results. Benchmark PT Lowered
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC lowered its target from $12 to $8 and moved to “sector perform” — the note reduces near-term enthusiasm but still leaves modeled upside from current levels. RBC Price Target Change
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results were weak: Marketplace GOV down ~42% YoY, revenue down ~37% YoY, massive non‑cash impairment charges and a net loss of ~$429M for Q4 — the operational decline and impairments triggered the large earnings miss and pressure on equity. Q4 Financials
• Negative Sentiment: Reports say the company’s loan situation is in “deeper distress” after the weak results, highlighting elevated leverage, lower cash (quarter-end cash ~ $103M) and potential creditor concerns that could pressure the stock. Loan Distress Article
• Negative Sentiment: Management disclosed a new app-store/regulatory risk that could raise costs or limit mobile distribution over time — a potential margin headwind for a marketplace that increasingly relies on app engagement. App Store Risk Disclosure

Vivid Seats Company Profile

Vivid Seats, traded on NASDAQ under the ticker SEAT, operates an online ticket marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of live event tickets. The company specializes in facilitating purchases for sports games, concerts, theater productions and other entertainment experiences. Through its digital platform and mobile application, Vivid Seats offers real-time access to available tickets, transparent pricing and a 100% Buyer Guarantee, which ensures ticket authenticity and timely delivery.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Vivid Seats has grown from a regional reseller into one of North America’s leading ticket marketplaces.