Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

STRZ has been the subject of a number of other reports. B. Riley Financial began coverage on Starz Entertainment in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $45.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $30.00 price objective on shares of Starz Entertainment and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Starz Entertainment from $13.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of Starz Entertainment in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Starz Entertainment in a report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Starz Entertainment presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $29.33.

Starz Entertainment Price Performance

NASDAQ:STRZ opened at $24.42 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $408.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.46 and a beta of 2.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.31. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $26.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.96. Starz Entertainment has a 52-week low of $8.40 and a 52-week high of $32.58.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Alison Hoffman sold 13,661 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.42, for a total value of $292,618.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 94,419 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,022,454.98. This trade represents a 12.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Scott D. Macdonald acquired 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $20.59 per share, with a total value of $102,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 18,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $386,206.63. The trade was a 36.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 22.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Starz Entertainment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of STRZ. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Starz Entertainment by 35.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 90,937 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,046,000 after buying an additional 23,689 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Starz Entertainment during the first quarter worth approximately $577,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its holdings in shares of Starz Entertainment by 4.3% during the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 72,411 shares of the company’s stock worth $833,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. acquired a new position in shares of Starz Entertainment in the first quarter valued at approximately $190,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in shares of Starz Entertainment by 11.6% in the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 40,747 shares of the company’s stock valued at $469,000 after purchasing an additional 4,243 shares during the last quarter.

Starz Entertainment Company Profile

Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ: STRZ) is a global media and entertainment company that operates premium subscription video services across linear television and digital streaming platforms. The company’s core offering includes the STARZ and STARZ ENCORE linear networks in the United States, alongside its STARZPLAY streaming service, which is available in North America, parts of Europe, Latin America and select Asian markets. Through its multi-platform distribution strategy, Starz delivers a combination of original programming, feature films and licensed series to a broad subscriber base.

At the heart of Starz Entertainment’s business is its investment in original content production.