Merit Financial Group LLC Increases Holdings in Adobe Inc. $ADBE

Merit Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) by 20.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 35,052 shares of the software company’s stock after buying an additional 6,027 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Adobe were worth $12,268,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ADBE. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Adobe by 53.3% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,617,145 shares of the software company’s stock worth $1,981,448,000 after buying an additional 1,952,994 shares during the last quarter. Dodge & Cox lifted its holdings in Adobe by 8,006.6% during the 3rd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 1,593,506 shares of the software company’s stock worth $562,109,000 after buying an additional 1,573,849 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Adobe by 55.2% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,587,399 shares of the software company’s stock worth $912,705,000 after buying an additional 920,353 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its holdings in Adobe by 17.9% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 4,888,283 shares of the software company’s stock worth $1,711,583,000 after buying an additional 742,646 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Adobe by 112.6% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,341,410 shares of the software company’s stock worth $469,467,000 after buying an additional 710,357 shares during the last quarter. 81.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Adobe Stock Performance

NASDAQ ADBE opened at $244.45 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The business’s 50 day moving average is $253.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $303.58. Adobe Inc. has a 12-month low of $224.13 and a 12-month high of $422.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $98.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.24, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.52.

Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The software company reported $6.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.87 by $0.19. Adobe had a return on equity of 64.48% and a net margin of 29.48%.The company had revenue of $6.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.08 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. Adobe has set its FY 2026 guidance at 23.300-23.500 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 5.800-5.850 EPS. Research analysts expect that Adobe Inc. will post 16.65 EPS for the current year.

Adobe News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Adobe this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adobe launched the Firefly AI Assistant — a conversational, agentic tool that automates multi‑step creative workflows inside Photoshop, Premiere and Illustrator; the product expands Adobe’s AI monetization paths and reinforces Creative Cloud differentiation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and several outlets highlight Adobe’s expanded Firefly/AI portfolio for creators, noting the launch could speed workflows and help Adobe justify AI investments — a potential revenue/ARR upside if adoption scales. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Adobe reported AI traffic to U.S. retail sites is converting materially better (March AI traffic +42% vs. non‑AI), supporting the business case that Adobe’s AI features can drive customer ROI and platform value. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several media pieces and analysts note Adobe’s shares are at multi‑year lows, framing the stock as a “cheap” software name — that can attract value buyers but also reflects investor caution on AI/valuation. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are recalibrating valuation rather than overhauling it — some firms trimmed targets modestly while others remain positive; reports show measured fair‑value tweaks reflecting mixed views on AI ROI. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada cut its price target from $400 to $350 (still Outperform). A notable PT cut from a major bank can pressure sentiment even when the rating stays positive. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competition risk rose as Anthropic and others develop AI design tools that could encroach on Adobe’s product moat — a tangible long‑term risk for market share in creative workflows. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Data shows sizable institutional reductions (e.g., UBS AM) and some insider sales in recent months — selling from large holders can amplify downward pressure in a low‑price environment. Read More.

Insider Transactions at Adobe

In other Adobe news, CFO Daniel Durn sold 1,646 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.85, for a total transaction of $485,323.10. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 41,995 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,382,225.75. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on ADBE shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Adobe in a report on Friday, March 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Adobe from $520.00 to $420.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 13th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Adobe from $375.00 to $285.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 13th. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Adobe in a report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, KeyCorp reduced their target price on Adobe from $310.00 to $235.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Adobe currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $339.88.

Adobe Profile

Adobe Inc, founded in 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschke and headquartered in San Jose, California, is a global software company that develops tools and services for creative professionals, marketers and enterprises. Under the leadership of CEO Shantanu Narayen, who has led the company since 2007, Adobe has evolved from a provider of desktop publishing tools into a cloud-centric provider of digital media and digital experience solutions.

The company’s core offerings are organized around digital media and digital experience.