Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NXST) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NXST) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the ten ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $222.3750.

NXST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Nexstar Media Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Nexstar Media Group from $229.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on Nexstar Media Group from $218.00 to $204.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th.

Institutional Trading of Nexstar Media Group

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Nexstar Media Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in Nexstar Media Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Nexstar Media Group by 375.0% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Nexstar Media Group during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC increased its position in Nexstar Media Group by 65.7% during the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.30% of the company’s stock.

Nexstar Media Group Price Performance

NASDAQ NXST opened at $212.38 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $203.82 and its 200-day moving average is $198.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.76. The company has a market capitalization of $6.44 billion, a PE ratio of 13.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.84. Nexstar Media Group has a 12-month low of $141.66 and a 12-month high of $223.36.

Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ:NXST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.62 by ($0.48). Nexstar Media Group had a return on equity of 22.99% and a net margin of 10.02%.The business had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.27 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Nexstar Media Group will post 21.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Nexstar Media Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Nexstar Media Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.13%.

Nexstar Media Group Company Profile

Nexstar Media Group, Inc is a diversified American media company engaged primarily in the ownership, operation and strategic affiliation of local television stations, digital platforms and cable networks. The company provides a range of broadcast content, including local news, sports coverage, entertainment programming and syndicated shows, reaching audiences in more than 100 television markets across the United States.

Founded in 1996 by entrepreneur Perry Sook and headquartered in Irving, Texas, Nexstar has built its presence through organic growth and a series of high-profile acquisitions.