Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the thirty-six research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-three have issued a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $7.6483.

Several brokerages recently commented on SNAP. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Snap in a report on Friday, July 17th. DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of Snap from $5.00 to $5.25 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on Snap from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Snap from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Snap from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Rebecca Morrow sold 17,336 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.20, for a total transaction of $90,147.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 598,105 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,110,146. The trade was a 2.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CTO Robert C. Murphy sold 2,000,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.55, for a total transaction of $11,100,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 41,809,791 shares in the company, valued at approximately $232,044,340.05. The trade was a 4.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,426,753 shares of company stock valued at $13,323,208. Insiders own 22.68% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Snap

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Snap by 92.3% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,581 shares during the period. Arax Advisory Partners increased its holdings in Snap by 220.0% during the 4th quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 3,309 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 2,275 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Snap by 561.4% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,618 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 3,071 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in Snap by 6,678.0% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 6,778 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 6,678 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NFSG Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Snap by 52.7% in the 1st quarter. NFSG Corp now owns 8,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 2,900 shares during the period. 47.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Snap

Here are the key news stories impacting Snap this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings forecasts: Zacks Research raised its EPS estimates across several periods, including Q3 2026, FY2027 and FY2028. The firm now expects Snap to reach positive annual EPS in FY2027 and forecasts $0.11 per share for FY2028, up from a prior loss estimate. These revisions suggest improving expectations for cost control, advertising growth or operating leverage, despite the firm’s continued “Strong Sell” rating. Zacks Research earnings estimate revisions for Snap
• Positive Sentiment: Saudi Arabia expansion: Snap appointed Rowan Saghayroun as Head of Communications for Saudi Arabia, underscoring the country’s importance to its Middle East strategy. Stronger local relationships with users, advertisers, partners and regulators could support regional growth and international monetization over time. Does Snap Need A Saudi Communications Chief To Grow Its Middle East Story?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader social-media legal risks: Meta’s reported $18 billion settlement over youth-safety claims removes a major legal overhang for Meta but could increase regulatory and compliance expectations across the industry. The outcome may create a clearer framework for Snap, while also raising the potential cost of operating features aimed at younger users. Meta’s $18 Billion Settlement Could Reshape Social Media Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Pennsylvania youth-safety lawsuit: The state’s attorney general alleges that Snap misleads parents about mature content and uses features such as Snapstreaks, infinite scroll and Friend Solar System to encourage compulsive use among minors. Civil penalties, marketing restrictions or mandated product changes could raise costs and weaken engagement—particularly among Snapchat’s younger core audience—creating a direct risk to advertising revenue. Youth Engagement Lawsuit Could Be A Game Changer For Snap’s Core Monetization Model

Snap Stock Performance

NYSE:SNAP opened at $5.43 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.18 billion, a PE ratio of -30.16 and a beta of 1.03. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $4.91 and its 200 day moving average is $5.13. Snap has a fifty-two week low of $3.81 and a fifty-two week high of $9.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 2.94 and a current ratio of 2.94.

Snap (NYSE:SNAP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported ($0.10) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.12) by $0.02. Snap had a negative net margin of 4.90% and a negative return on equity of 14.61%. The company had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.16) earnings per share. Snap’s quarterly revenue was up 18.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Snap will post -0.02 earnings per share for the current year.

About Snap

Snap Inc is a camera and social media company best known for developing and operating Snapchat, a multimedia messaging application that allows users to send photos, videos and messages that disappear after being viewed. In addition to its core messaging service, Snap offers a suite of augmented reality (AR) tools, including custom Lenses and Filters, that enable users and third-party developers to create interactive and immersive experiences. The company also provides advertising solutions that allow brands to engage audiences through Snap Ads, Sponsored Lenses and Discover content on the platform.

Founded in 2011 by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, Snap has continually focused on innovation in camera technology and AR.