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

• Market Cap: $282.67M
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 799.85K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 6.6
• Beta (1Y): 0.27
• Revenue Growth: 5.25%
• EPS Growth: N/A
• Country: US
• Employees: 5,000
• Sector: Communication Services
• Sector Strength: 91
• Industry: Broadcasting
• EPS (TTM): -0.60
• Shares Outstanding: 76,400,410
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 1,045,585
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 799,849
• PEG Ratio: N/A
• Price to Book (P/B): N/A
• Price to Sales (P/S): N/A
• P/FCF Ratio: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 12.02
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 1.39
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 2.97
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 6.54
• 1Y Price Target: $6.13
• Price Target Upside: 97.11% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 4

• Rating: 67 Neutral
• Price Target: $3.50 ▲(12.54% Upside)

E. W. Scripps Company Class A shows a stable financial position with strong profitability and reduced leverage, which are significant strengths. The technical indicators suggest a positive trend, and the stock's low P/E ratio indicates potential undervaluation. However, challenges in revenue growth, declining ROE, and free cash flow growth, along with mixed earnings call results, present risks that need to be addressed to improve the stock's outlook.

Positive Factors

CTV growth

CTV remained a bright spot, growing 57% year-over-year and now accounting for 15% of total viewing.

Financial performance

Scripps reported a $15 million revenue and $2 million EBITDA beat, supported by strong political revenue.

Refinancing success

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

Negative Factors

ION revenue risk

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

Maturity wall

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

Revenue miss

Shares fell over 10% due to a revenue miss in the Networks segment despite a $5 million EBITDA beat.

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

E. W. Scripps Company generates revenue through several key streams. Primarily, the company earns money from advertising sales on its television stations and digital platforms, where local and national businesses pay to promote their products and services. Additionally, Scripps benefits from affiliate fees from cable and satellite providers who carry its broadcast channels. The company also generates revenue through its digital media offerings, which include online advertising and subscription services for its streaming content. Significant partnerships with other media organizations, as well as investments in podcasting and content syndication, further contribute to its overall earnings.

E. W. Scripps Company Class A Financial Statement Overview

Summary

E.W. Scripps Company shows solid revenue growth and effective cash flow management, though profitability remains a challenge with moderate margins. The balance sheet indicates high leverage, posing 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	2.44B	2.51B	2.29B	2.45B	2.28B	1.86B
Gross Profit	1.14B	1.19B	1.01B	1.22B	1.18B	927.73M
EBITDA	519.04M	575.55M	-598.89M	598.90M	581.86M	425.59M
Net Income	103.75M	146.22M	-947.78M	195.90M	122.71M	269.33M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	5.09B	5.20B	5.41B	6.43B	6.66B	4.86B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	31.66M	23.85M	35.32M	18.03M	66.22M	576.02M
Total Debt	156.26M	2.69B	3.05B	3.03B	3.28B	2.98B
Total Liabilities	3.80B	3.88B	4.25B	4.30B	4.69B	3.70B
Stockholders Equity	1.29B	1.32B	1.16B	2.13B	1.97B	1.16B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	243.23M	300.42M	51.98M	265.63M	175.83M	230.56M
Operating Cash Flow	280.02M	365.68M	111.60M	311.42M	237.00M	277.39M
Investing Cash Flow	18.98M	-26.54M	-60.61M	-66.39M	-2.46B	317.42M
Financing Cash Flow	-293.99M	-350.61M	-33.71M	-327.48M	693.48M	998.18M

E. W. Scripps Company Class A Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 3.11
• 50DMA: Negative
• 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 3.11 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 2.98, below the 50-day MA of 3.16, and above the 200-day MA of 2.44, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of <0.01 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 51.40 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 78.70 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
SGA	69 Neutral	$85.39M	39.89	1.23%	7.54%	-1.72%	-66.67%
SSP	67 Neutral	$282.67M	6.58	8.30%	―	5.25%	―
GTN	66 Neutral	$655.52M	4.03	7.23%	5.29%	7.03%	1727.49%
Sector *	60 Neutral	$43.56B	3.79	-13.01%	4.09%	1.89%	-42.25%
EVC	54 Neutral	$225.62M	―	-75.89%	8.23%	-58.44%	-130.21%
CMLS	44 Neutral	$15.35M	―	-274.30%	―	-4.57%	-103.56%
MDIA	―	$70.32M	4.46	55.64%	―	―	―

E. W. Scripps Company Class A Corporate Events

E.W. Scripps Issues $750M Senior Secured Notes

On August 6, 2025, The E.W. Scripps Company issued $750 million in new 9.875% senior secured second lien notes due 2030, guaranteed by its domestic subsidiaries and secured by a second priority lien on the company’s assets. This move was part of a broader financial strategy that included redeeming $426 million of its 5.875% Senior Notes due 2027 and pre-paying $205 million of its term loan B-2 facility, reflecting the company’s efforts to manage its debt obligations and optimize its capital structure.

E.W. Scripps Prices $750M Senior Secured Notes

On July 29, 2025, the E.W. Scripps Company announced the pricing of its $750 million senior secured second lien notes, an increase of $100 million from its previous offering size. The notes, maturing in 2030, are part of a private offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act, with the proceeds intended to redeem existing notes, pre-pay term loans, and repay credit facilities, potentially impacting the company’s financial strategy and debt management.

E.W. Scripps Announces Preliminary Q2 2025 Financial Results

The E.W. Scripps Company announced preliminary estimated unaudited financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2025, in connection with a $650 million notes offering. The results, which include a presentation of L8QA Consolidated EBITDA of $541.1 million, are subject to adjustments as the review of financial statements is not yet complete. Additionally, the company plans to redeem its 5.875% Senior Notes due 2027 on August 6, 2025, contingent on satisfactory financing conditions.

E. W. Scripps and Gray Media Station Swap Deal

On July 7, 2025, The E.W. Scripps Company and Gray Media, Inc. entered into agreements to swap television stations across five markets, with Scripps acquiring stations in Colorado and Idaho, and Gray acquiring stations in Michigan and Louisiana. This strategic exchange, which involves no cash consideration, aims to enhance market scale and financial stability for both companies, allowing them to expand local news and sports programming. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.