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RTL Group SA (DE:RRTL)
XETRA:RRTL

RTL Group SA (RRTL) AI Stock Analysis

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DE:RRTL

RTL Group SA

(XETRA:RRTL)

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Outperform 71 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:71Outperform
Price Target:
€41.00
▲(18.50% Upside)
Action:UpgradedDate:03/14/26
The score is driven primarily by strong valuation (low P/E and high dividend yield) and a stable, conservatively leveraged balance sheet. Offsetting this, 2025 showed weaker core operating profitability and a sharp decline in free cash flow, while technical signals are mixed with negative MACD limiting momentum support.
Positive Factors
Diversified media & content business
A multi‑pronged business model combining advertising-funded TV/radio, subscription/hybrid streaming and content production/distribution creates structural resilience. Diversified revenue streams and IP ownership help smooth cyclical ad markets and enable recurring monetization via licensing and international format sales.
Conservative balance sheet and improving leverage
Low and improving leverage with a sizable equity base supports investment flexibility and downside protection. Strong ROE indicates efficient capital use; a conservative balance sheet enables continued content investment, M&A optionality or dividend support without stressing liquidity in industry slowdowns.
Positive free cash flow coverage of earnings
Despite year-over-year FCF decline, the fact that free cash flow still covers a large portion of net income is a constructive sign of earnings quality and cash conversion. This supports sustainable shareholder returns, content funding and gradual balance sheet de-risking over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Weakening operating profitability
A sharp drop in gross and EBIT margins signals deteriorating core operating economics and raises questions about the sustainability of earnings from media operations. If core margins remain depressed, the company will face pressure funding content and competing on streaming economics without relying on non‑operating boosts.
Material decline in cash flow momentum
A substantial year-over-year drop in operating and free cash flow reduces financial flexibility. Lower cash generation constrains capital allocation for content, technology or M&A, and increases reliance on balance sheet or external financing if the decline persists, weakening resilience to industry disruption.
Flat to slightly declining revenue trend
Stagnant or modestly declining top-line growth limits the company’s ability to scale fixed-cost content investments and dilute operating leverage. Without steady revenue expansion from streaming or international distribution, margin recovery and long‑term earnings growth will be harder to achieve.

RTL Group SA (RRTL) vs. iShares MSCI Germany ETF (EWG)

RTL Group SA Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionRTL Group S.A., an entertainment company, operates television (TV) channels and radio stations, and provides streaming services in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. The RTL Deutschland segment operates RTL, Vox, Super RTL, Toggo Plus, NTV, Nitro, Vox Up, and RTL Up free-to-air channels; RTL Crime, RTL Passion, RTL Living, GEO Television, and Now! thematic pay channels; and RTL Zwei, an equity participation in the free-to-air channel. This segment also offers streaming service RTL+; engages in content activities, such as the production companies RTL Studios and RTL News; and provision of RTL Radio Deutschland and ad-tech business, Smartclip. The Groupe M6 segment operates television channels; radio stations; and digital services, including mobile applications and IPTV services. The Fremantle segment is involved in the content production comprising of distribution and licensing business. The RTL Nederland segment operates RTL 4, RTL 5, RTL 7, RTL 8, RTL Z, RTL Lounge, RTL Crime, and RTL Telekids TV channels; and Videoland, a pay streaming service, as well as offers RTL XL, a catch-up TV service in the Netherlands. The Other segment operates RTL play, a streaming service; RTL-TVI; RTL Klub; Club RTL; RTL Most, a streaming platform; RTL Televizija; RTL 2; RTL Kockica children's channels; RTL Luxembourg; RTL Radio Letzebuerg; and RTL Tele Letzebuerg, a general interest TV channel. The company was founded in 1924 and is based in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. RTL Group S.A. is a subsidiary of Bertelsmann Capital Holding GmbH.
How the Company Makes MoneyRTL Group primarily generates revenue from three main areas: (1) Advertising sales: The largest and most traditional source is selling advertising inventory across its free-to-air TV channels and radio stations. Revenue is driven by audience reach/ratings, advertising market conditions, pricing (CPM/GRP), and the mix of national vs. regional/local ad sales. The company also monetizes digital video advertising through its broadcaster video-on-demand and streaming services (e.g., ad-supported tiers, addressable/targeted advertising where applicable). (2) Streaming and digital revenue: RTL earns money from subscription fees and/or platform revenues tied to its streaming services in various markets, which may include subscription video-on-demand, hybrid models (subscription plus advertising), and transactional offerings where present. Digital monetization can include paid subscriptions, advertising, and distribution deals (e.g., carriage or platform arrangements), depending on the market and product. (3) Content production, distribution, and rights: Through its production operations, RTL produces scripted and unscripted programming and earns fees from commissions for its own channels and for third-party broadcasters and streaming platforms. It also monetizes intellectual property by distributing finished programs and formats internationally, licensing remake rights, and generating ancillary revenues tied to content rights (e.g., international sales). Additional contributors can include revenue from TV channel distribution/carriage agreements with cable/satellite/IPTV operators and other commercial partnerships, as well as other media-related services; if specific partnership terms or market-by-market breakdowns are not publicly available, they are not detailed here.

RTL Group SA Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Balance sheet is a clear strength (low and improving leverage; solid ROE), but operating performance weakened in 2025 (very low gross margin and lower EBIT margin) and cash flow momentum deteriorated (FCF down ~38%), reducing earnings durability despite strong net margin.
Income Statement
63
Positive
Revenue has been broadly flat to slightly down over the last few years (2025: -2.35%), and profitability has been volatile. 2025 shows an unusually low gross margin (2.6%) and weaker operating profitability (EBIT margin 4.3% vs ~9.8–13.1% in 2022–2024), but net margin is high (16.3%) versus prior years—suggesting earnings were helped by non-operating items rather than core operations. Overall, the business remains profitable, but the recent mix of weaker operating margins and soft revenue trend lowers quality and predictability of earnings.
Balance Sheet
78
Positive
Leverage looks manageable with debt-to-equity improving to 0.24 in 2025 (from 0.33 in 2024) and equity building to €4.7B. Returns on equity are solid and improved in 2025 (20.8% vs 10.7% in 2024), indicating good profitability relative to the capital base. The main watch item is that returns have been variable year-to-year, but overall the balance sheet appears conservatively positioned for a broadcaster.
Cash Flow
58
Neutral
Cash generation remains positive, but momentum weakened materially in 2025: operating cash flow fell to €520M (from €761M) and free cash flow declined to €410M (down 38.2%). Free cash flow still covers a large portion of net income (about 79%), which is a constructive sign for earnings quality, but the year-over-year drop in cash flow reduces flexibility and raises questions about near-term cash conversion stability.
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue6.16B6.02B6.25B6.23B6.59B6.64B
Gross Profit3.38B155.00M3.51B3.34B3.79B4.10B
EBITDA760.50M582.00M932.00M849.00M1.09B2.13B
Net Income359.00M979.00M460.00M467.00M673.00M1.30B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets9.70B10.49B10.23B9.67B10.13B10.49B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments368.00M457.00M594.00M761.00M754.00M840.00M
Total Debt1.73B1.11B1.43B1.24B1.07B1.02B
Total Liabilities4.99B4.97B5.04B4.57B4.92B5.22B
Stockholders Equity3.89B4.70B4.31B4.25B4.42B4.54B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow663.00M410.00M587.00M360.00M262.00M737.00M
Operating Cash Flow777.00M520.00M761.00M537.00M463.00M932.00M
Investing Cash Flow-43.00M308.00M-122.00M26.00M658.00M-114.00M
Financing Cash Flow-804.00M-951.00M-637.00M-578.00M-1.09B-759.00M

RTL Group SA Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price34.60
Price Trends
50DMA
36.36
Negative
100DMA
34.92
Negative
200DMA
34.83
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.20
Positive
RSI
39.75
Neutral
STOCH
36.98
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For DE:RRTL, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 34.6 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 35.98, below the 50-day MA of 36.36, and below the 200-day MA of 34.83, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.20 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 39.75 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 36.98 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for DE:RRTL.

RTL Group SA Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
75
Outperform
€3.08B12.7618.18%6.73%-0.62%16.87%
71
Outperform
€5.35B5.428.76%6.31%2.77%-31.49%
66
Neutral
€15.15M-7.8629.87%4.87%-0.74%31.08%
62
Neutral
€4.06B26.362.07%0.21%-0.46%-50.77%
60
Neutral
$48.67B4.58-11.27%4.14%2.83%-41.78%
56
Neutral
€5.12B16.792.80%7.04%-2.19%
45
Neutral
€873.05M4.21-0.48%1.03%-4.06%82.42%
* Communication Services Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
DE:RRTL
RTL Group SA
34.60
1.24
3.73%
DE:1U1
1&1 AG
23.05
8.58
59.26%
DE:FNTN
freenet
25.88
-7.32
-22.06%
DE:PSM
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE
3.85
-2.54
-39.77%
DE:UTDI
United Internet
27.44
10.36
60.63%
DE:KA8
Klassik Radio AG
3.14
-0.39
-11.05%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Mar 14, 2026