Sinclair (NASDAQ:SBGI) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo & Company Analyst Says

Sinclair (NASDAQ:SBGI) had its target price hoisted by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $16.00 to $17.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 0.42% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on SBGI. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Sinclair from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Sinclair in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Sinclair from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday. Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of Sinclair from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research raised Sinclair from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $20.00.

Sinclair Trading Up 22.1%

SBGI stock traded up $3.07 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $16.93. 558,245 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 348,860. Sinclair has a 52-week low of $11.89 and a 52-week high of $17.88. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $14.88 and its 200-day moving average is $14.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.77. The company has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a P/E ratio of -27.26 and a beta of 0.96.

Sinclair (NASDAQ:SBGI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.07. Sinclair had a negative net margin of 1.35% and a negative return on equity of 10.19%. The firm had revenue of $836.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $840.25 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.61 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Sinclair will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Benson E. Legg sold 6,548 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.81, for a total value of $103,523.88. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 71,165 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,125,118.65. This represents a 8.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David B. Gibber sold 29,376 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.67, for a total value of $489,697.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 165,272 shares in the company, valued at $2,755,084.24. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 50,637 shares of company stock worth $815,535 in the last quarter. 41.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sinclair

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Sinclair by 142.0% in the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,815 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065 shares in the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Sinclair in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in Sinclair by 175.6% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 1,882 shares during the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sinclair in the third quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Sinclair in the second quarter worth $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.71% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Sinclair

Here are the key news stories impacting Sinclair this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark Co. raised its price target on SBGI from $27 to $30 and initiated/maintained a “Buy” stance, implying material upside versus the current level. Benchmark target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat materially — Sinclair reported $1.55 EPS vs. consensus roughly -$0.03 — driven by stronger-than-expected core advertising performance. That earnings surprise is a major positive catalyst. Q4 results press release
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted 14% core advertising growth and strong performance at Tennis Channel; political ad spending is expected to be a tailwind in 2026, which could boost cash flow. Earnings highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Sinclair announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share (implied ~6.1% yield), raising the stock’s income appeal for yield-focused investors. (Ex-dividend/record dates disclosed in company release.)
• Positive Sentiment: Independent coverage upgrades (e.g., Seeking Alpha upgrade to Buy) call out the dividend yield, recent pullback, and potential political ad windfalls as reasons for upside. Seeking Alpha upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Company issued FY2026 revenue guidance in a $3.4B–$3.5B range (close to consensus), though EPS guidance details were not clearly published in the brief. Investors will want full guidance detail for clarity. Earnings presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed earnings call transcript and presentation are available for investors who want management commentary and color on ad trends and capital allocation. Earnings transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue was down ~16.7% YoY for the quarter and the company still shows negative net margin and negative ROE, highlighting ongoing secular pressure in parts of the business. MarketBeat earnings summary
• Negative Sentiment: Net leverage remains elevated (reported ~5.3x in analyst commentary), which increases sensitivity to advertising cycles despite no near-term material maturities; deleveraging is a stated priority but remains a risk. Leverage discussion

About Sinclair

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc (NASDAQ: SBGI) is a media and entertainment company headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Founded in 1971 as a single UHF television station operator, Sinclair has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to become one of the largest owners of local television stations in the United States. Over its history, the company has pursued a diversified portfolio that includes both traditional broadcast assets and newer digital platforms.

At its core, Sinclair operates over 190 television stations affiliated with the major national broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW and MyNetworkTV.