Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN) Sets New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Gen Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GEN)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $21.26 and last traded at $21.1460, with a volume of 903054 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $21.78.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on GEN shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Gen Digital from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Gen Digital in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Gen Digital in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Gen Digital from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Gen Digital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Gen Digital presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $32.71.

Gen Digital Stock Down 3.2%

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $24.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.50, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.47. The stock has a market cap of $12.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.74, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.11.

Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.01. Gen Digital had a return on equity of 56.76% and a net margin of 12.76%.The company had revenue of $1.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.23 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.56 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. Gen Digital has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.640-0.660 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.540-2.560 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Gen Digital Inc. will post 2.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Gen Digital Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Gen Digital’s payout ratio is currently 51.55%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Choreo LLC grew its position in shares of Gen Digital by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 10,116 shares of the company’s stock worth $297,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the period. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Gen Digital by 3.9% in the second quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 9,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $279,000 after buying an additional 357 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Gen Digital by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 16,210 shares of the company’s stock worth $441,000 after acquiring an additional 387 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Gen Digital by 20.9% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,255 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 390 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Gen Digital by 48.6% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,223 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.38% of the company’s stock.

About Gen Digital

Gen Digital (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global cybersecurity company specializing in consumer- and small-business-focused security, privacy, and identity protection solutions. The company offers a suite of products designed to safeguard devices, networks, and personal information against malware, ransomware, phishing attacks and other digital threats. With a focus on user-friendly interfaces and cross-platform compatibility, Gen Digital develops antivirus software, VPN services, parental controls, password management tools, and comprehensive identity-theft monitoring services.

Gen Digital traces its origins to the consumer software division of Symantec Corporation, which was spun off in late 2019 under the NortonLifeLock name.