TKO Group (NYSE:TKO) Insider Mark Shapiro Sells 19,120 Shares

TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:TKO) insider Mark Shapiro sold 19,120 shares of TKO Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.39, for a total transaction of $3,716,736.80. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 147,071 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,589,131.69. This represents a 11.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

TKO Group Stock Performance

Shares of TKO Group stock opened at $201.95 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $192.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $196.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.86 and a beta of 0.63. TKO Group Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $176.00 and a 52 week high of $226.94.

TKO Group (NYSE:TKO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.41 by ($0.07). TKO Group had a return on equity of 2.67% and a net margin of 4.33%.The company had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.54 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.17 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that TKO Group Holdings, Inc. will post 5.18 EPS for the current year.

TKO Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This is a positive change from TKO Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.78. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. TKO Group’s payout ratio is currently 110.88%.

TKO Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting TKO Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: An analyst’s bullish thesis rates TKO a “buy,” citing the UFC’s $7.7 billion Paramount agreement as a potential catalyst for broader distribution, lower consumer-access barriers and stronger future negotiating leverage. The deal could pressure margins in the near term but expand UFC’s long-term reach. WWE’s $1.6 billion ESPN agreement is also expected to provide recurring content revenue, wider distribution and potential pricing power if subscriber growth develops. TKO Group Holdings: WWE And UFC Are The Jewels
• Neutral Sentiment: TKO disclosed that CEO Ariel Emanuel, CFO Andrew M. Schleimer, director Nick Khan and insider Mark S. Shapiro sold shares totaling approximately $13.4 million across August 18–19. The filings state that the transactions were made to cover tax-withholding obligations when equity awards vested, reducing the likelihood that the sales signal deteriorating confidence. Emanuel retained 174,334 shares, Shapiro 147,071, Khan 39,340 and Schleimer 38,051 shares after the transactions. Ariel Emanuel SEC filing Andrew Schleimer SEC filing Nick Khan SEC filing Mark Shapiro SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: The insider activity may create modest selling-pressure concerns because multiple executives reduced their holdings. TKO’s elevated valuation—about 71 times earnings—also leaves the stock sensitive to execution risks, including near-term margin compression from the UFC distribution agreement and the need for WWE subscriber growth to justify higher renewal pricing.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on TKO shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of TKO Group in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Benchmark reissued a “hold” rating on shares of TKO Group in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of TKO Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of TKO Group from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of TKO Group from $225.00 to $222.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, TKO Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $238.08.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TKO Group

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. raised its position in shares of TKO Group by 7.7% during the second quarter. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. now owns 138,509 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,883,000 after purchasing an additional 9,924 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of TKO Group by 1,125.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 28,150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,667,000 after purchasing an additional 25,852 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in shares of TKO Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $9,698,000. Heartland Bank & Trust Co bought a new stake in TKO Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $465,000. Finally, Annex Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in TKO Group by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC now owns 418,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $84,266,000 after purchasing an additional 5,483 shares in the last quarter. 89.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About TKO Group

TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) is a global sports and entertainment company formed in 2023 through the combination of two major combat-sports businesses. The company brings together the mixed martial arts organization UFC and the sports entertainment business WWE under a single publicly traded holding company. TKO owns and manages a portfolio of live-event franchises, intellectual property, and media rights centered on combat and sports-entertainment content.

TKO’s core activities include the promotion and production of live events, the licensing and sale of broadcasting and streaming rights, and the development and commercialization of branded consumer products.