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Investing.com - Benchmark raised its price target on Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE:LYV) to $190.00 from $180.00 on Friday, while maintaining a Buy rating on the stock. The new target represents potential upside from the current price of $161.99, with analyst targets ranging from $130 to $195. According to InvestingPro data, the stock has already delivered an impressive 27.8% return over the past six months.
The price target increase comes as Live Nation faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny, with the Federal Trade Commission filing a lawsuit this month related to secondary market ticket premiums, primarily concerning behavior outside Ticketmaster’s direct control. Despite these challenges, the $37.57 billion market cap company maintains a GOOD financial health score according to InvestingPro analysis, with annual revenues reaching $23.7 billion.
Benchmark noted that Live Nation is advocating in Washington for a 20% secondary market premium cap, which would significantly benefit artists and venues by capturing premium pricing while reinforcing the value of Ticketmaster’s primary market and Live Nation’s concert businesses.
The firm’s price target reflects an S&P 500 growth to valuation model, with Benchmark suggesting higher targets could be justified if Live Nation is treated more like a Nasdaq 100 company given its high growth and the B2B nature of most of its businesses.
The proposal has created a lobbying battle between Live Nation and secondary market participants such as Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and StubHub, with each group attempting to deflect consumer anger and political pressure from the Administration.
In other recent news, Live Nation Entertainment has been the subject of several key developments. The company is currently facing a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission and seven states over alleged deceptive ticket resale practices involving its Ticketmaster subsidiary. This legal action accuses Live Nation and Ticketmaster of working with brokers to resell tickets at substantial markups, leading to higher costs for consumers. Additionally, the FTC is investigating whether Ticketmaster has adequately controlled automated bots that resell tickets illegally. This probe is reportedly in advanced stages, with a decision expected soon.
In the financial realm, Rothschild Redburn downgraded Live Nation from Buy to Neutral, citing expected slowing margin expansion from 2026. Meanwhile, MoffettNathanson initiated coverage with a Buy rating, highlighting Live Nation’s dominance in the concert promotion business. Benchmark also raised its price target for the company to $180, supported by strong second-quarter 2025 results and robust concert demand. Global attendance figures reached 44 million, with significant growth in Europe and Latin America.
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