Not a good buy right now for an impatient entry: the stock is in a clear downtrend (bearish MA stack, negative MACD) and earnings are imminent with elevated implied volatility.
Price (~22.93) is sitting just above near-term support (S1 ~22.70); this can bounce, but the higher-probability setup is to avoid initiating before an event (earnings after-hours 2026-02-05).
Positioning is modestly bullish via open-interest put/call, but day-of volume is slightly put-leaning; sentiment is not strong enough to override the technical downtrend.
MACD: Histogram -0.273 (below zero) but negatively contracting → downside momentum may be fading, yet trend remains bearish until MACD flips.
RSI_6: 24.09 (functionally oversold) → supports a short-term bounce risk, but oversold can persist in downtrends.
Key levels: Support S1 ~22.70 then S2 ~21.85; Resistance pivot ~24.06 then R1 ~25.42. A reclaim of ~24.06 would be the first technical improvement.
Pattern-based forecast: modest downside bias over 1W/1M (-1.73% / -2.04%), reinforcing “not an ideal entry now.”
Options Data
Bullish
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Neutral
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
Sentiment/positioning: OI put/call at 0.4 is bullish-leaning (more call positioning outstanding), but today’s volume put/call ~1.02 is slightly bearish/hedge-leaning.
Volatility: IV (30D) 41.56 vs HV 27.36 → options are pricing a sizable move (event premium into earnings).
IV percentile 82.87 (high) → elevated event risk is priced in; buying shares here means accepting a potentially sharp post-earnings swing.
Activity: today’s volume vs 30D avg ~10.49x and OI build is very high → strong event-driven positioning ahead of earnings.
Technical Summary
Sell
7
Buy
4
Positive Catalysts
sit well above the current ~22.93, implying room if fundamentals re-accelerate.
Neutral/Negative Catalysts
Profitability pressure in the latest reported quarter (net income/EPS down YoY; gross margin down YoY).
Takeaway: growth is strong, but the quality of growth weakened (lower profitability), which can keep the stock from sustaining rebounds until margins stabilize.
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Recent sell-side trend is mixed: one bullish reiteration with a higher target (Evercore ISI Outperform, PT raised to $37), and one more cautious view with a lower target (RBC Sector Perform, PT cut to $29).
Wall Street “pros” view: valuation seen as attractive and the company positioned to compound EPS over time (bull case).
Wall Street “cons” view: multiple compression/peer valuation pressure and the need to prove durable profitability/margins (cautious case).
Politicians/congress activity: no recent congress trading data available; no political buy/sell signal to confirm sentiment.
Wall Street analysts forecast GEN stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for GEN is 33 USD with a low forecast of 29 USD and a high forecast of 37 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
4 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast GEN stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for GEN is 33 USD with a low forecast of 29 USD and a high forecast of 37 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
2 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 22.430
Low
29
Averages
33
High
37
Current: 22.430
Low
29
Averages
33
High
37
Barclays
Saket Kalia
Equal Weight
downgrade
$33 -> $32
AI Analysis
2026-02-06
New
Reason
Barclays
Saket Kalia
Price Target
$33 -> $32
AI Analysis
2026-02-06
New
downgrade
Equal Weight
Reason
Barclays analyst Saket Kalia lowered the firm's price target on Gen Digital to $32 from $33 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The firm updated the company's model post the Q3 report.
Kepler Cheuvreux
Buy
to
Hold
downgrade
2026-01-19
Reason
Kepler Cheuvreux
Price Target
2026-01-19
downgrade
Buy
to
Hold
Reason
Kepler Cheuvreux downgraded Banca Generali to Hold from Buy with a price target of EUR 60, up from EUR 59. The firm sees limited share upside following the stock's recent rally.
Unlock Full Analyst Thesis， Get the complete breakdown of rating reason for GEN
