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USA TODAY
(NYSE:TDAY)
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Rating:56Neutral
Price Target:
$9.00
▲(32.55% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:04/30/26
The score reflects improving operations and positive cash generation but significant balance-sheet leverage and a still-declining revenue base. Technical momentum is supportive and the latest earnings call was broadly constructive on margins and digital progress, but the extremely high P/E and lack of dividend support materially weigh on the overall rating.
Positive Factors
Digital Revenue Mix & Subscription ARPU
A sustained shift to nearly half of revenue from digital and rising subscription ARPU creates a more recurring, higher-margin revenue base. This structural mix change reduces reliance on print ad cycles and supports steadier long-term cashflows and customer monetization.
Negative Factors
High Leverage and Limited Balance-Sheet Flexibility
Elevated debt levels constrain strategic optionality and increase refinancing and interest-rate risk. Even with improving EBITDA and modest deleveraging, leverage remaining above targets limits capital allocation, raises vulnerability to shocks, and slows structural recovery.
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Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Digital Revenue Mix & Subscription ARPU
A sustained shift to nearly half of revenue from digital and rising subscription ARPU creates a more recurring, higher-margin revenue base. This structural mix change reduces reliance on print ad cycles and supports steadier long-term cashflows and customer monetization.
Read all positive factors
USA TODAY (TDAY) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$1.24B
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)1.41M
Price to Earnings (P/E)38.3
Beta (1Y)0.97
Revenue Growth-6.79%
EPS Growth-41.13%
CountryUS
Employees9,500
SectorCommunication Services
Sector Strength97
IndustryPublishing
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.22
Shares Outstanding146,702,120
10 Day Avg. Volume1,192,059
30 Day Avg. Volume1,409,288
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-4.02
Price to Book (P/B)4.82
Price to Sales (P/S)0.32
P/FCF Ratio11.88
Enterprise Value/Market Cap<0.01
Enterprise Value/Revenue<0.01
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit<0.01
Enterprise Value/Ebitda<0.01
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$9.35Price Target Upside37.70% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering3
EPS Forecast (FY)0.24
Revenue Forecast (FY)$2.20B
USA TODAY Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
USA TODAY Co., Inc. operates as a media and digital marketing solutions company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Domestic Gannett Media, Newsquest, and Digital Marketing Solutions. The company’s print offerings include hom...
How the Company Makes Money
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USA TODAY Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Apr 30, 2026
(Q1-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Jul 30, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed clear operational momentum and meaningful profitability improvements: strong adjusted EBITDA growth (+44.7%), record digital mix (~48% of revenue), sizable digital-other and subscription ARPU gains, audience scale stability, and improving leverage. However, headwinds remain: overall revenue is still down year-over-year (though improved on a same-store basis), digital advertising and local page views faced softness (partly due to Google Discover shifts), AI/licensing revenue is lumpy, and leverage and cash remain imperfect relative to targets. On balance, the positives around margin expansion, digital revenue mix, subscription ARPU gains, and strong AI/licensing upside materially outweigh the near-term top-line and traffic challenges.Positive Updates
Significant EBITDA and Margin Expansion
Total adjusted EBITDA of $73.1M, up 44.7% year-over-year (+$22.6M); total adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 13.3% from 8.8% a year ago (≈450 basis points improvement).
Negative Updates
Top-Line Still Declining Year-over-Year
Total revenues were $548.5M, down 4.0% year-over-year (down 1.8% on a same-store basis). Despite trend improvement (210 bps better than Q4), revenues remain below prior-year levels.
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Significant EBITDA and Margin Expansion
Total adjusted EBITDA of $73.1M, up 44.7% year-over-year (+$22.6M); total adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 13.3% from 8.8% a year ago (≈450 basis points improvement).
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Management reaffirmed the full‑year 2026 outlook and said Q2 revenue and same‑store trends should be largely in line with Q1 (Q1 total revenues $548.5M, -4.0% GAAP / -1.8% same‑store), while total adjusted EBITDA should continue to grow year‑over‑year but at a more moderate pace than Q1 (Q1 adjusted EBITDA $73.1M, +44.7%, margin 13.3%), with Q2 results impacted by a higher mix of DMS and lower licensing. They expect ongoing digital revenue growth (Q1 digital $261.9M, +5.2% same‑store; digital ~47.8–48% of total), continued year‑over‑year growth in digital‑only subscription revenue ($45.9M, +6.2%; record ARPU $10.30, +42.7%), meaningful but lumpy contributions from digital other/AI licensing (Q1 +125.6% / +$18.8M), a notable sequential increase in free cash flow in Q2 (Q1 FCF $6.4M), and continued deleveraging toward their sub‑2.0x target (Q1 first‑lien net leverage 2.3x; total debt $988.3M; net debt $903.1M; cash $85.2M).USA TODAY Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
41
Neutral
Balance Sheet
22
Negative
Cash Flow
55
Neutral
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 2.28B | 2.30B | 2.51B | 2.66B | 2.95B | 3.21B |
| Gross Profit | 785.95M | 725.68M | 963.73M | 971.52M | 1.08B | 1.31B |
| EBITDA | 291.09M | 263.62M | 183.31M | 261.53M | 213.48M | 251.78M |
| Net Income | 28.97M | 1.75M | -26.35M | -27.79M | -78.00M | -134.96M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 1.80B | 1.84B | 2.04B | 2.18B | 2.39B | 2.83B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 85.17M | 90.21M | 106.30M | 100.18M | 94.25M | 130.76M |
| Total Debt | 1.13B | 1.13B | 1.29B | 1.29B | 1.43B | 1.49B |
| Total Liabilities | 1.66B | 1.68B | 1.89B | 1.86B | 2.10B | 2.30B |
| Stockholders Equity | 141.94M | 155.11M | 153.14M | 317.79M | 295.74M | 532.10M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 59.52M | 62.90M | 50.78M | 56.46M | -4.60M | 87.89M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 110.36M | 114.39M | 100.31M | 94.57M | 40.78M | 127.45M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -29.50M | 8.97M | -27.95M | 46.98M | 22.12M | 70.65M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -82.08M | -139.84M | -68.85M | -135.51M | -102.87M | -261.17M |
USA TODAY Technical Analysis
6.79
Price Trends
Market Momentum
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For TDAY, the sentiment is undefined. The current price of 6.79 is equal to the 20-day moving average (MA) of ―, equal to the 50-day MA of ―, and equal to the 200-day MA of ―, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of ― indicates undefined momentum. The RSI at ― is undefined, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of ― is undefined, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a undefined sentiment for TDAY.
USA TODAY Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 Neutral | $48.67B | 4.58 | -11.27% | 4.14% | 2.83% | -41.78% |
* Communication Services Sector Average
Performance Comparison
USA TODAY Corporate Events
Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
USA TODAY shareholders uphold supermajority governance at annual meeting
Neutral
Jun 1, 2026
At its June 1, 2026 annual meeting, USA TODAY Co., Inc. shareholders elected eight directors to serve until the 2027 meeting and ratified Grant Thornton LLP as the independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026. Investors also en...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresLegal ProceedingsRegulatory Filings and Compliance
USA TODAY Clarifies Google Antitrust Litigation Disclosure Remarks
Neutral
May 12, 2026
On May 5, 2026, USA TODAY Co., Inc. clarified remarks made by CEO Michael Reed during an investor call about its ongoing litigation with Google, noting that he misspoke by describing certain figures as estimated damages rather than as interference...
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.