Why Is GEN DIGITAL INC (GEN) Stock Up Today?

Gen Digital shares rose 14.37% to close at $27.85 on Thursday. The primary driver was a strong second-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings report that exceeded estimates, accompanied by a raised full-year outlook.

What Happened

The company reported revenue growth of 12% and a 19% jump in earnings per share for the quarter. Management highlighted that AI automation and partner channel expansion are generating margin improvements and cash flow, allowing them to skip transformative mergers and acquisitions. Norton cross-sell penetration is nearing 30% as the AI strategy expands. Following the results, Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $34 from $32, while RBC Capital increased its target to $27 from $24. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share, which carries a forward yield of 1.85%.

What The Data Shows

The stock opened at $25.86, a 6.2% gap up from the prior close of $24.35. It reached a session high of $27.87 at 9:50 AM ET before settling near $27.78. Volume stood at 1.2 million shares, which is 0.2 times the three-month daily average. The stock printed six fresh 52-week highs on October 29, 2026. Fundamentals include a market cap of $14.5 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.2, and a trailing twelve-month revenue increase of 20.2%. The net margin is 20.7%, and the beta is 1.26. The current dividend yield is 2.06%. The 52-week range is $17.78 to $31.65. Recent insider activity shows seven sells totaling $16.4 million in the last 90 days, with no buys. Congressional trades in the same period included one buy and two sells.

What To Watch

Investors will monitor the company's continued execution on its AI strategy and dividend sustainability. The upcoming earnings date for the next quarter is not yet specified in the provided data, but coverage breadth remains active with 15 stories from five sources in the last 36 hours.