E. W. Scripps Company Class A (SSP) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $228.05M
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 769.15K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 2.8
• Beta (1Y): 0.40
• Revenue Growth: 6.28%
• EPS Growth: N/A
• Country: US
• Employees: 5,000
• Sector: Communication Services
• Sector Strength: 85
• Industry: Broadcasting
• EPS (TTM): -0.22
• Shares Outstanding: 75,777,756
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 923,338
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 769,153
• PEG Ratio: 0.10
• Price to Book (P/B): 0.52
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.00
• P/FCF Ratio: 4.13
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 17.33
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 0.41
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 3.51
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 2.81
• 1Y Price Target: $6.93
• Price Target Upside: 166.54% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 4

• Rating: 77 Outperform
• Price Target: $3.00 ▲(15.38%Upside)

E. W. Scripps Company scores well due to strong valuation metrics and positive technical indicators, suggesting undervaluation and bullish momentum. Financial performance is stable but faces challenges with leverage and profitability. Earnings call insights and corporate events reinforce financial stability and strategic focus.

Positive Factors

Earnings

E.W. Scripps managed to beat consensus across the board in 1Q and guided slightly ahead on EBITDA in 2Q, with flat distribution and Networks revenue growth and a double-digit decline in Networks expenses.

Financial Performance

Shares rallied nearly 45% as a much-better-than-feared refinancing was announced.

Regulatory Environment

The FCC's potential deregulation could change the entire playing field for local broadcasters, benefiting Scripps.

Negative Factors

Debt Maturity

There is still a relatively large maturity wall in 2027, although management is addressing it with lenders.

Revenue Risk

ION is expected to account for almost 40% of total revenue, presenting incremental national risk that others do not have.

E. W. Scripps Company Class A Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

The E.W. Scripps Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a media enterprise through a portfolio of local and national media brands. The company operates through Local Media, Scripps Network, and Other segments. The Local Media segment operates broadcast television stations, which produce news, information, and entertainment content, as well as its related digital operations. This segment also runs network, syndicated, and original programming. The Scripps Network segment comprises of national television networks. The Network operates through over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite, connected TV, and digital distribution. In addition, the company provides content and services through the internet, smartphones, and tablets. Further, the company provides Newsy, a national news network, which provides politics, entertainment, science, and technology news; and Scripps National Spelling Bee, an investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C. Additionally, the company offers ION, a national broadcast television network that delivers popular crime and justice procedural programming through over-the-air broadcast and pay TV platforms. It serves audiences and businesses. The E.W. Scripps Company operates through a network of 61 television stations. The company was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

How the Company Makes Money

The E.W. Scripps Company generates revenue through several key streams. The primary source of income is advertising revenue from its local and national television stations, which attract advertisers seeking to reach a broad audience. The company also earns money through retransmission fees paid by cable and satellite providers for carrying its channels. Additionally, Scripps has a growing digital media presence, which contributes to its earnings through online advertising and subscription services. Strategic partnerships and acquisitions further enhance its revenue potential by expanding its content offerings and audience reach.

E. W. Scripps Company Class A Financial Statement Overview

Summary

E. W. Scripps Company demonstrates solid revenue growth and effective cash flow management, though profitability remains a challenge with moderate margins. The balance sheet shows high leverage, indicating financial risk, but the improving return on equity offers a positive outlook. Overall, the company is in a stable position but must address leverage to enhance financial flexibility.

Income Statement

The company exhibits a strong gross profit margin with TTM at 45.5% and a consistent EBIT margin around 16%. Revenue growth is volatile but trending positively with a recent 7.8% increase from 2023. However, the net profit margin is modest at 5.7% TTM, highlighting some profitability constraints.

Balance Sheet

The debt-to-equity ratio stands at approximately 2.05, indicating a significant reliance on debt. While the return on equity improved to 10.7% TTM, the equity ratio remains low at 25.8%, suggesting moderate financial leverage but potential risk due to high liabilities.

Cash Flow

Free cash flow growth is healthy at 12.7% TTM, and operating cash flow to net income ratio is robust at 2.25, indicating strong cash generation capabilities. However, the free cash flow to net income ratio of 1.9 suggests efficient cash utilization, yet further improvement is needed.

Breakdown
TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement		Total Revenue
2.47B	2.51B	2.29B	2.45B	2.28B	1.86B
	Gross Profit
1.12B	1.19B	1.01B	596.28M	582.20M	754.41M
	EBIT
397.39M	412.49M	-753.24M	428.34M	400.75M	303.49M
	EBITDA
543.47M	575.55M	-598.89M	598.90M	581.86M	425.59M
	Net Income Common Stockholders
141.14M	146.22M	-947.78M	195.90M	122.71M	153.56M
Balance Sheet		Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
23.96M	23.85M	35.32M	18.03M	66.22M	576.02M
	Total Assets
5.12B	5.20B	5.41B	6.43B	6.66B	4.86B
	Total Debt
2.71B	2.69B	3.05B	2.87B	3.15B	2.98B
	Net Debt
2.68B	2.66B	3.01B	2.85B	3.08B	2.40B
	Total Liabilities
3.80B	3.88B	4.25B	4.30B	4.69B	3.70B
	Stockholders Equity
1.32B	1.32B	1.16B	2.13B	1.97B	1.16B
Cash Flow		Free Cash Flow
268.77M	300.42M	51.98M	265.63M	175.83M	230.56M
	Operating Cash Flow
316.94M	365.68M	111.60M	311.42M	237.00M	277.39M
	Investing Cash Flow
-31.34M	-26.54M	-60.61M	-66.39M	-2.46B	317.42M
	Financing Cash Flow
-291.86M	-350.61M	-33.71M	-327.48M	693.48M	998.18M

E. W. Scripps Company Class A Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 2.60
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For SSP, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 2.6 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 2.33, above the 50-day MA of 2.29, and above the 200-day MA of 2.23, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.07 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 56.73 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 60.78 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for SSP.

E. W. Scripps Company Class A Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
SSP	77 Outperform	$228.05M	2.82	11.23%	―	6.28%	―
SGA	74 Outperform	$77.82M	21.67	2.06%	8.28%	-1.65%	-51.45%
GTN	68 Neutral	$445.37M	1.66	9.92%	8.36%	9.08%	―
Sector *	61 Neutral	$14.56B	5.82	-4.02%	6.41%	2.72%	-31.67%
EVC	56 Neutral	$189.23M	―	-82.15%	9.62%	-66.94%	-52.19%
CMLS	40 Neutral	$14.75M	―	-243.54%	―	-2.92%	-165.37%
MDIA		$64.42M	―	-15.50%	―	―	―

E. W. Scripps Company Class A Corporate Events

E.W. Scripps Completes Refinancing for Financial Flexibility

On April 10, 2025, The E.W. Scripps Company completed a series of refinancing transactions to enhance its financial flexibility and extend debt maturities. The company refinanced its existing term loans and revolving credit facilities, establishing new credit agreements and a $450 million accounts receivable securitization facility. These transactions eliminate previous debt obligations and provide Scripps with a stronger balance sheet, allowing it to continue executing strategic initiatives.