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iHeartMedia (IHRT)
NASDAQ:IHRT
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iHeartMedia (IHRT) AI Stock Analysis

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IHRT

iHeartMedia

(NASDAQ:IHRT)

Rating:58Neutral
Price Target:
$2.50
▲(17.37% Upside)
iHeartMedia's overall stock score is driven by significant financial challenges, including high leverage and negative equity, which weigh heavily on its financial performance score. Despite positive technical indicators suggesting bullish momentum, valuation remains a concern due to ongoing losses. The earnings call provided a balanced view with strong digital growth but highlighted revenue declines in key segments.
Positive Factors
Earnings
Second quarter revenues were $933 million, above analyst's estimate of $907 million and at the high end of the company’s guidance.
Podcast Growth
Podcast continues to drive growth in the segment, increasing by 28.5% from the prior year, ahead of the company’s expectations.
Negative Factors
Macro Environment
Management noted that meeting its full year outlook likely required an improvement in the ad market.
Market Conditions
A difficult radio ad market remains a headwind.
Visibility
Visibility remains limited given recent macro uncertainty.

iHeartMedia (IHRT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

iHeartMedia Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptioniHeartMedia, Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company worldwide. It operates through three segments: Multiplatform Group, Digital Audio Group, and Audio & Media Services Group. The Multiplatform Group segment offers broadcast radio stations, sponsorship, and live and virtual events; and operates Premiere Networks, a national radio network that produces, distributes, or represents approximately 120 syndicated radio programs and services to approximately 6,400 radio station affiliates. It also delivers real-time traffic flow and incident information, and weather updates, sports, and news through approximately 2,100 radio stations and 170 television affiliates, and Internet and mobile partnerships. As of December 31, 2021, this segment owned 863 radio stations, which included 249 AM and 614 FM radio stations. The Digital Audio Group segment provides podcasting, digital sites, newsletters, digital services, and programs; and iHeartRadio, a mobile app and web-based service for radio stations, digital-only stations, custom artist stations, and podcasts. The Audio and Media Services Group segment engages in the media representation business. This segment also provides cloud and on-premises broadcast software, such as radio and television automation, music scheduling, newsroom automation, advertising sales management, disaster recovery solutions; and real-time audio recognition technology to approximately 10,000 radio and television stations, cable channels, record labels, advertisers, and agencies, as well as media streaming and research services. The company was formerly known as CC Media Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to iHeartMedia, Inc. in September 2014. iHeartMedia, Inc. is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
How the Company Makes MoneyiHeartMedia generates revenue primarily through advertising sales, which account for a significant portion of its earnings. The company sells advertising space across its radio stations, digital platforms, and live events, allowing businesses to reach targeted audiences. Additionally, iHeartMedia benefits from partnerships with various brands and advertisers, enabling sponsored content and promotional opportunities. The company's digital segment, including iHeartRadio, contributes to its revenue through digital advertising and subscription services. Furthermore, the company engages in live event promotions, generating income from ticket sales and sponsorship deals. Overall, iHeartMedia's diverse revenue streams, combined with its extensive reach in the media landscape, support its financial performance.

iHeartMedia Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Aug 11, 2025
(Q2-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Oct 30, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call presented a balanced view with strong performance in the Digital Audio Group and podcasting growth, countered by declines in the Multiplatform Group and overall revenue guidance uncertainty. Cost management efforts are on track, but negative free cash flow and revenue declines in certain segments are concerns.
Q2-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Digital Audio Group Revenue Growth
The Digital Audio Group generated second quarter revenue of $324 million, up 13.4% versus prior year, slightly above the previously provided guidance of up low double digits.
Podcast Revenue Surge
Podcast revenue grew 28.5% compared to prior year, above guidance of up low 20s, indicating strong growth momentum in podcasting.
Top Advertisers' Revenue Increase
The top 50 advertisers for the total company were up 9% year-over-year, and the 4 largest advertising agency groups were up 14% year-over-year.
Adjusted EBITDA Achievement
Adjusted EBITDA was $156 million, at the upper end of the guidance range of $140 million to $160 million, and 4% above prior year.
Cost Management Success
The company remains on track to generate $150 million net savings in 2025, with Q2 results including $40 million of net savings.
Negative Updates
Multiplatform Group Revenue Decline
The Multiplatform Group's revenue was $545 million, down 5.4% versus prior year, and adjusted EBITDA was down 7.6% versus prior year.
Negative Free Cash Flow
Second quarter free cash flow was negative $13 million compared to $6 million in the prior year quarter.
Q3 Revenue Guidance Uncertainty
Q3 2025 revenue is expected to be down low single digits compared to prior year, with a wider adjusted EBITDA guidance range due to market uncertainty.
Audio & Media Services Group Revenue Decrease
Revenue was $68 million, down 3.3% year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA flat to prior year.
Company Guidance
In the Q2 2025 earnings call, iHeartMedia reported solid results, slightly exceeding initial expectations with an adjusted EBITDA of $156 million, within the provided guidance range of $140 million to $160 million, and marking a 4% increase compared to the previous year. Consolidated revenue for the quarter was up 0.5% year-over-year, surpassing guidance of low single-digit decline, and excluding political impact, revenue rose by 1.5%. The Digital Audio Group demonstrated strong performance with a revenue increase of 13.4% to $324 million, and podcast revenue soared by 28.5%, surpassing guidance of low 20s growth. On the other hand, the Multiplatform Group's revenue was $545 million, a 5.4% decrease compared to the previous year, yet at the upper end of the guidance range. Cost management was emphasized, with $40 million in net savings achieved in Q2, contributing to the target of $150 million in net savings for 2025. Looking forward, the company provided a third-quarter adjusted EBITDA guidance range of $180 million to $220 million, considering the ongoing market uncertainties.

iHeartMedia Financial Statement Overview

Summary
iHeartMedia faces significant financial challenges with mixed income statement performance, high leverage, negative equity, and weak cash flow generation. While there is some revenue growth, profitability remains a concern with persistent net losses.
Income Statement
45
Neutral
iHeartMedia's income statement shows mixed performance. The TTM data indicates a slight revenue growth of 11.8%, but the company continues to face challenges with profitability, as evidenced by a negative net profit margin of -9.68%. The gross profit margin has decreased compared to previous years, indicating potential cost management issues. Despite a positive EBIT margin in TTM, historical EBIT and EBITDA margins have been negative, reflecting ongoing operational challenges.
Balance Sheet
30
Negative
The balance sheet reveals significant financial leverage with a high debt-to-equity ratio of -3.87 in TTM, indicating a reliance on debt financing. The negative stockholders' equity suggests financial instability, and the return on equity, although positive in TTM, is driven by negative equity, which is concerning. The equity ratio is also negative, highlighting potential solvency issues.
Cash Flow
40
Negative
Cash flow analysis shows a decline in free cash flow growth, with a significant drop of -136.22% in TTM. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is low at 0.12, indicating limited cash generation relative to net losses. However, the company maintains a positive free cash flow to net income ratio, suggesting some ability to generate cash despite net losses.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue3.87B3.85B3.75B3.91B3.56B2.95B
Gross Profit2.25B2.27B2.26B2.43B2.23B1.79B
EBITDA437.52M-378.88M-344.42M529.39M682.01M404.06M
Net Income-374.48M-1.01B-1.10B-262.67M-158.39M-1.92B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets5.38B5.57B6.95B8.34B8.88B9.20B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments235.93M259.58M346.38M336.24M352.10M720.66M
Total Debt5.90B5.86B6.05B6.33B6.57B6.86B
Total Liabilities7.11B6.94B7.34B7.65B7.97B8.15B
Stockholders Equity-1.73B-1.38B-394.15M684.50M915.80M1.05B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow9.41M-26.16M110.39M259.11M147.20M130.74M
Operating Cash Flow103.98M71.43M213.06M420.07M330.57M215.94M
Investing Cash Flow-96.01M508.00K-51.33M-129.23M-346.79M-147.81M
Financing Cash Flow-82.85M-158.34M-152.16M-306.11M-352.12M241.18M

iHeartMedia Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price2.13
Price Trends
50DMA
1.97
Positive
100DMA
1.62
Positive
200DMA
1.84
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
0.10
Positive
RSI
53.18
Neutral
STOCH
16.25
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For IHRT, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 2.13 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 2.06, above the 50-day MA of 1.97, and above the 200-day MA of 1.84, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.10 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 53.18 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 16.25 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for IHRT.

iHeartMedia Risk Analysis

iHeartMedia disclosed 28 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. iHeartMedia reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

iHeartMedia Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
64
Neutral
$77.28M35.991.23%8.33%-1.72%-66.67%
61
Neutral
$264.12M6.158.30%5.25%
60
Neutral
$44.01B4.39-12.81%4.08%1.86%-42.71%
58
Neutral
$297.13M86.54%3.18%62.89%
54
Neutral
$235.63M-75.89%7.72%-58.44%-130.21%
45
Neutral
$8.32M3.37-5.76%-5.52%87.59%
$72.39M4.5955.64%
* Communication Services Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
IHRT
iHeartMedia
2.13
0.63
42.00%
BBGI
Beasley Broadcast Group
4.61
-7.59
-62.21%
SSP
E. W. Scripps Company Class A
2.99
1.12
59.89%
EVC
Entravision
2.59
0.79
43.89%
SGA
Saga Communications
12.00
-1.41
-10.51%
MDIA
Mediaco Holding
1.35
-1.98
-59.46%

iHeartMedia Corporate Events

Executive/Board Changes
iHeartMedia Appoints New Principal Accounting Officer
Neutral
Jun 5, 2025

On May 30, 2025, iHeartMedia, Inc. announced a transition in its accounting leadership, with Scott Hamilton moving to a consulting role effective June 2, 2025, and Michael B. McGuinness appointed as the new principal accounting officer on June 5, 2025. This change was not due to any disputes or disagreements within the company, ensuring a smooth transition in its financial leadership.

Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
iHeartMedia Holds 2025 Annual Stockholders Meeting
Neutral
May 19, 2025

On May 13, 2025, iHeartMedia, Inc. conducted its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, where 83.7% of the company’s Class A common stock was represented. During the meeting, all proposed directors were elected, and the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, was ratified. Additionally, the compensation of the company’s named executive officers was approved on an advisory basis.

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: Aug 19, 2025