Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT – Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.31, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter.
Here are the key takeaways from Versant’s conference call:
- 2026 outlook reaffirmed, with revenue expected at $6.2 billion–$6.45 billion and Adjusted EBITDA of $1.9 billion–$2.05 billion; free cash flow is now expected to exceed the prior $1.0 billion–$1.2 billion forecast.
- Versant completed four major distribution renewals on favorable terms, with 75% of network subscribers contracted through 2028 or beyond, improving visibility despite ongoing pay-TV subscriber declines.
- Platforms revenue increased 10% year over year, or 17% excluding the SportsEngine divestiture and Full Swing acquisition, led by Fandango ticketing and GolfNow; the company also reported encouraging early results from Fandango AVOD and MS NOW direct-to-consumer.
- Third-quarter revenue fell 4% to $1.59 billion and Adjusted EBITDA declined 7% to $353 million, primarily because of pay-TV pressure and sports-rights timing. Fourth-quarter EBITDA will face higher programming costs from four additional NASCAR races, although management characterized this as a one-time impact.
- Versant returned $457 million to shareholders year to date through dividends and repurchases and announced an additional $100 million accelerated share repurchase for the fourth quarter, supported by approximately $1 billion in cash and an undrawn $750 million revolver.
Versant Price Performance
Versant stock traded up $0.87 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $33.21. 388,782 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,681,410. The company has a market cap of $4.61 billion and a P/E ratio of 9.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 2.38 and a current ratio of 2.38. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $34.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $36.26. Versant has a 52-week low of $27.17 and a 52-week high of $59.00.
Versant Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 22nd. Investors of record on Thursday, October 1st were given a dividend of $0.3750 per share. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 1st. Versant’s payout ratio is presently 43.10%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
VSNT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded Versant from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $43.00 target price on shares of Versant in a research note on Friday, September 18th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Versant from $35.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Versant in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Versant from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $42.29.
View Our Latest Report on VSNT
About Versant
Versant, Inc (NASDAQ: VSNT) is a media and entertainment company formed from selected cable television and digital assets formerly owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal division. The company develops, produces, distributes and markets entertainment, news, sports and lifestyle content across television networks and digital platforms.
Versant’s portfolio includes USA Network, E!, SYFY, Oxygen, Golf Channel and related digital properties. Its assets also include Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, which provide movie-ticketing, entertainment information and media-review services.
See Also
- Five stocks we like better than Versant
- Are the Fears Around Alphabet’s Search Slowdown Warranted?
- Streaming Success: Fox Corp Channels Tubi For Q1 Earnings Beat
- Caterpillar’s Sell-Off: Is the Market Missing Its AI Power Play?
- Check Point’s Turnaround Could Be Closer Than Investors Think
Receive News & Ratings for Versant Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Versant and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
