E.W. Scripps (SSP) – Is This A Winning Strategy?


Tuesday, November 18, 2025

The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of 61 stations in 41 markets. The Scripps Networks reach nearly every American through the national news outlets Court TV and Newsy and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery, Laff and TrueReal. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Sinclair’s surprising move. We believe that negotiations to merge with Sinclair broke down, but Sinclair decided to take another tack. It announced that it took a 8.2% stake in the company in a bold attempt to make public its intent and possibly to dissuade another potential suitor. The move is surprising given that E.W. Scripps is controlled by the Scripps Family Trust, which has voting control of the company (93%) and the Scripps family trust cannot simply vote its shares entirely independently of the family agreement. 

What was the sticking point? We believe that the Scripps family recognizes the limitations that the company has with its current leveraged balance sheet and limited acquisition targets. In our view, the Scripps family has turned down overtures in the past because of the unwillingness to give up either control or a significant voice at the table. We believe that the point of contention is the Smith family’s 80% super majority voting rights of the Sinclair Broadcast Group and what the Scripps family will control following a potential merger. 


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

QuoteMedia Inc. (QMCI) – Another Favorable Quarter


Monday, November 17, 2025

QuoteMedia is a leading software developer and cloud-based syndicator of financial market information and streaming financial data solutions to media, corporations, online brokerages, and financial services companies. The Company licenses interactive stock research tools such as streaming real-time quotes, market research, news, charting, option chains, filings, corporate financials, insider reports, market indices, portfolio management systems, and data feeds. QuoteMedia provides industry leading market data solutions and financial services for companies such as the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, TMX Group (TSX Stock Exchange), Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE), London Stock Exchange Group, FIS, U.S. Bank, Broadridge Financial Systems, JPMorgan Chase, CI Financial, Canaccord Genuity Corp., Hilltop Securities, HD Vest, Stockhouse, Zacks Investment Research, General Electric, Boeing, Bombardier, Telus International, Business Wire, PR Newswire, FolioFN, Regal Securities, ChoiceTrade, Cetera Financial Group, Dynamic Trend, Inc., Qtrade Financial, CNW Group, IA Private Wealth, Ally Invest, Inc., Suncor, Virtual Brokers, Leede Jones Gable, Firstrade Securities, Charles Schwab, First Financial, Cirano, Equisolve, Stock-Trak, Mergent, Cision, Day Trade Dash and others. Quotestream®, QModTM and Quotestream ConnectTM are trademarks of QuoteMedia. For more information, please visit www.quotemedia.com.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Q3 results. The company reported Q3 revenue of $5.2 million, a 10% increase over the prior year period, and a 5% increase sequentially. Additionally, revenue was modestly better than our $5.0 million estimate, while adj. EBITDA of $0.4 million was slightly lower than our estimate of $0.6 million. Importantly, the favorable revenue growth was largely driven by an increased spend from existing customers.

Capitalizing less development costs. Notably, the company capitalized less development costs in Q3 than in the prior year, resulting in increased development expenses in the quarter. While we anticipate the company will recognize development costs at a similar rate going forward, we believe that margins should improve as the company begins to recognize revenue from the new business “wins” in future quarters.


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Newsmax (NMAX) – Executing On Its Growth Strategy


Friday, November 14, 2025

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Solid Q3 Results. The company reported Q3 revenue of $45.3 million and an adj. EBITDA loss of $1.8 million, both of which were in line with our estimates of $43.8 million and a loss of $1.7 million, respectively, as illustrated in Figure #1 Q3 Results. Notably, Q3 results benefited from a 10.1% increase in broadcasting revenue and a 22.3% increase in affiliate fee revenue, a development we view favorably, given that 2024 was an election year.

Expanded distribution. Notably, the company expanded its reach in the hospitality industry, adding more than 900 hotels and over 300,000 rooms. Additionally, its partnership with Curb extended programming across 15,000 taxi screens, with over 2.3 billion annual impressions. Furthermore, the company continues to gain traction internationally through licensing deals in the Balkans and the rollout of Newsmax en Español. In our view, the company is well positioned to continue expanding distribution both domestically and internationally. 


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Alliance Entertainment Holding (AENT) – Favorable Momentum Into Fiscal Second Quarter


Friday, November 14, 2025

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Overachieved fiscal first quarter. Total revenues increased a solid 10.9% to $253.9 million, better than our $244.0 million estimate, bolstered by a 59% increase in movie sales. In addition, adj. EBITDA of $12.2 million, up roughly 260% y-o-y, was better than our $9.5 million estimate, reflecting a 330 basis point improvement in margins. Figure #1 Q3 Results highlights our estimates and the recent results. 

Strong movie sales likely to continue. Movie sales revenues increased 59% to $84.0 million, well above our $74.9 million estimate, a reflection of a recent licensing agreement with Paramount Pictures, and, to a smaller extent by strong Steelbook sales. The Paramount Pictures licensing revenue lift is likely to bolster total company revenues for the next few quarters.


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision

Townsquare Media (TSQ) – Fundamental Traction Is Elusive, But It Pays A Compelling Dividend


Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Townsquare is a community-focused digital media and digital marketing solutions company with market leading local radio stations, principally focused outside the top 50 markets in the U.S. Our assets include a subscription digital marketing services business, Townsquare Interactive, providing website design, creation and hosting, search engine optimization, social media and online reputation management as well as other digital monthly services for approximately 26,800 SMBs; a robust digital advertising division, Townsquare IGNITE, a powerful combination of a) an owned and operated portfolio of more than 330 local news and entertainment websites and mobile apps along with a network of leading national music and entertainment brands, collecting valuable first party data, and b) a proprietary digital programmatic advertising technology stack with an in-house demand and data management platform; and a portfolio of 321 local terrestrial radio stations in 67 U.S. markets strategically situated outside the Top 50 markets in the United States. Our portfolio includes local media brands such as WYRK.com, WJON.com, and NJ101.5.com and premier national music brands such as XXLmag.com, TasteofCountry.com, UltimateClassicRock.com and Loudwire.com.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

In line quarter. Third quarter results were in line with our revenue and adj. EBITDA estimates, but came in at the bottom of the company’s Q3 guide. Total company revenues of $106.8 million were a modest 0.6% below our $107.5 million estimate. Adj. EBITDA was $22.0 million, largely in line with our $22.5 million estimate. 

Its digital businesses sputter. Digital was the uncharacteristically lackluster, with revenues $58.9 million, somewhat lighter than our $59.8 million estimate, a 1.8% decrease from the comparable year earlier quarter. Our forecast anticipated a more modest 0.2% decline in total digital revenue. The company experienced revenue weakness in both its Townsquare Interactive (down 2.3%) and Digital Advertising (down 1.5%) businesses. 


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Saga Communications (SGA) – Influx Of Cash Likely To Fuel Stock Repurchases


Monday, November 10, 2025

Saga Communications, Inc. is a broadcast company whose business is primarily devoted to acquiring, developing and operating radio stations. Saga currently owns or operates broadcast properties in 27 markets, including 79 FM and 33 AM radio stations. Saga’s strategy is to operate top billing radio stations in mid sized markets, defined as markets ranked (by market revenues) from 20 to 200. Saga’s radio stations employ a myriad of programming formats, including Active Rock, Adult Album Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Country, Classic Country, Classic Hits, Classic Rock, Contemporary Hits Radio, News/Talk, Oldies and Urban Contemporary. In operating its stations, Saga concentrates on the development of strong decentralized local management, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the stations in their market area and is compensated based on their financial performance as well as other performance factors that are deemed to effect the long-term ability of the stations to achieve financial objectives. Saga began operations in 1986 and became a publicly traded company in December 1992. The stock trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol “SGA”.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Q3 Results. Third quarter revenue of $28.2 million was in line with our $28.3 million estimate, representing a modest 1.8% decline against a Political advertising infused prior year period. Adj. EBITDA, excluding an extraordinary music licensing settlement expense, was $3.3 million, in line with our $3.4 million estimate. 

Q3 revenues stabilize. Excluding Political advertising, the strength in Digital advertising more than offset the weakness in its core broadcast advertising. Digital advertising was up roughly 40% in the quarter. Digital advertising continues to have strong momentum into the fourth quarter, pacing up 32%.


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

E.W. Scripps (SSP) – Standing Tall Among Its Peers


Monday, November 10, 2025

The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of 61 stations in 41 markets. The Scripps Networks reach nearly every American through the national news outlets Court TV and Newsy and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery, Laff and TrueReal. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Q3 Core outperforms peers. Core advertising increased 2%, outperforming its peers, which on average declined 2% in the quarter. In addition, the company overachieved adj. EBITDA on better than expected expense savings on employee costs across both operating segments. 

Q4 core outlook outperforms peers as well. Management guided core advertising to increase 10% in Q4, significantly better than its peers, with most guiding flat to down as much as 5%. The biggest disappointment is in its Scripps Networks division, with Q4 revenues guided down low double-digits, impacted by the absence of Political and Medicare enrollment advertising due to the government shutdown. 


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Saga Communications (SGA) – Business Stabilizes In Q3


Friday, November 07, 2025

Saga Communications, Inc. is a broadcast company whose business is primarily devoted to acquiring, developing and operating radio stations. Saga currently owns or operates broadcast properties in 27 markets, including 79 FM and 33 AM radio stations. Saga’s strategy is to operate top billing radio stations in mid sized markets, defined as markets ranked (by market revenues) from 20 to 200. Saga’s radio stations employ a myriad of programming formats, including Active Rock, Adult Album Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Country, Classic Country, Classic Hits, Classic Rock, Contemporary Hits Radio, News/Talk, Oldies and Urban Contemporary. In operating its stations, Saga concentrates on the development of strong decentralized local management, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the stations in their market area and is compensated based on their financial performance as well as other performance factors that are deemed to effect the long-term ability of the stations to achieve financial objectives. Saga began operations in 1986 and became a publicly traded company in December 1992. The stock trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol “SGA”.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

In-line quarter. Third quarter revenue of $28.2 million was in line with our $28.3 million estimate, representing a modest 1.8% decline against a Political advertising infused prior year period. Adj. EBITDA, excluding an extraordinary music licensing settlement expense, was $3.3 million, in line with our $3.4 million estimate as illustrated in Figure #1 Q3 Results. 

Q3 revenues stabilize. Excluding Political advertising, the strength in Digital advertising more than offset the weakness in its core broadcast advertising. Digital advertising was up roughly 40% in the quarter. Management stated that Digital advertising continues with strong momentum into the fourth quarter, pacing a strong 32%. 


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E.W. Scripps (SSP) – Facing A Difficult Q4


Friday, November 07, 2025

The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of 61 stations in 41 markets. The Scripps Networks reach nearly every American through the national news outlets Court TV and Newsy and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery, Laff and TrueReal. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Q3 exceeds expectations. Adj. EBITDA of $80.4 million was better than our $71.5 million estimate, on revenues of $525.9 million, a little shy of our $528.5 million estimate. Employee compensation expenses were lower than our expectations, which accounted for the largest variance in our Q3 estimates, leading to the better than expected adj. EBITDA. Figure #1 Q3 Results highlights our estimates versus the results. 

Q4 guidance reflects a difficult quarter. Management anticipates Local Media revenue to be down in the 30% range, with Local Media expenses to be down in the low single-digit percent range. Scripps Networks revenue is expected to be down in the low double-digit percent range, with expenses to be down in the low double-digit percent range. Shared services and corporate will be about $21 million.


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*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Direct Digital Holdings (DRCT) – Building A Path Toward Profitability


Friday, November 07, 2025

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Q3 Results. The company reported Q3 revenue of $8.0 million, below our forecast of $14.5 million, partially driven by continued underperformance in the Sell-side business, which generated $0.6 million vs. our forecast of $5.0 million. Furthermore, while the company has been focusing on cost reductions, it has not been enough to offset the softness in the Sell-side. As such, adj. EBITDA loss of $3.0 million came in lower than our estimate of a loss of $0.1 million.

Buy-side grew. Notably, Buy-side revenue grew 7% YoY to $7.3 million, driven by expansion into larger performance-based clients. Notably, the company announced a new Reach TV partnership, which adds premium airport video inventory and aligns with the company’s tourism-focused customer base. The Buy-side is the primary profit driver and likely will be for the next several quarters.


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Release – Direct Digital Holdings Announces Expansion of its Equity Reserve Facility to $100 Million

November 06, 2025 4:05 pm EST

HOUSTON, Nov. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT) (“Direct Digital Holdings” or the “Company”), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform operating through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus SSP”) and Orange 142, LLC (“Orange 142”), today announced that it has entered into an amendment to its existing Equity Reserve Facility to expand the capacity to $100 million from $20 million.

The expansion of the Equity Reserve Facility reflects the amendment to the Company’s Share Repurchase Agreement with New Circle Capital to a total capacity of $100 million in aggregate gross proceeds from the sale of Class A Common Stock.

Mark Walker, Chief Executive Officer of Direct Digital Holdings, commented, “We view this expansion of our existing equity reserve facility as good capital management strategy that provides us with additional liquidity to operate and grow our business. We appreciate the flexibility of our partners as we continue to optimize our access to capital and strengthen our balance sheet.”

The Company expects that any proceeds received from the sale of this stock will be used for general corporate purposes.

The Company has filed a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission that contains further details regarding the completion of this amendment. The foregoing description of this amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Form 8-K and exhibits thereto.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws that are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties. We use words such as “could,” “would,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “likely,” “believe,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project” and other similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, but not all forward-looking statements include these words. All of our forward-looking statements involve estimates and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the information described under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (the “Form 10-K”) and subsequent periodic and or current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our industry experience and our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this press release, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond our control) and assumptions.

Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual operating and financial performance and cause our performance to differ materially from the performance expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. We believe these factors include, but are not limited to, the following: the restrictions and covenants imposed upon us by our credit facilities; the substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which may hinder our ability to obtain future financing; our ability to secure additional financing to meet our capital needs; our ineligibility to file short-form registration statements on Form S-3, which may impair our ability to raise capital; our failure to satisfy applicable listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market resulting in a potential delisting of our common stock; costs, risks and uncertainties related to restatement of certain prior period financial statements; any significant fluctuations caused by our high customer concentration; risks related to non-payment by our clients; reputational and other harms caused by our failure to detect advertising fraud; operational and performance issues with our platform, whether real or perceived, including a failure to respond to technological changes or to upgrade our technology systems; restrictions on the use of third-party “cookies,” mobile device IDs or other tracking technologies, which could diminish our platform’s effectiveness; unfavorable publicity and negative public perception about our industry, particularly concerns regarding data privacy and security relating to our industry’s technology and practices, and any perceived failure to comply with laws and industry self-regulation; our failure to manage our growth effectively; the difficulty in identifying and integrating any future acquisitions or strategic investments; any changes or developments in legislative, judicial, regulatory or cultural environments related to information collection, use and processing; challenges related to our buy-side clients that are destination marketing organizations and that operate as public/private partnerships; any strain on our resources or diversion of our management’s attention as a result of being a public company; the intense competition of the digital advertising industry and our ability to effectively compete against current and future competitors; any significant inadvertent disclosure or breach of confidential and/or personal information we hold, or of the security of our or our customers’, suppliers’ or other partners’ computer systems; as a holding company, we depend on distributions from Direct Digital Holdings, LLC (“DDH LLC”) to pay our taxes, expenses (including payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement) and any amount of any dividends we may pay to the holders of our common stock; the fact that DDH LLC is controlled by DDM, whose interest may differ from those of our public stockholders; any failure by us to maintain or implement effective internal controls or to detect fraud; and other factors and assumptions discussed in our Form 10-K and subsequent periodic and current reports we may file with the SEC.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should any of these assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances, and we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. New factors that could cause our business not to develop as we expect emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each currently known or new factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. 

About Direct Digital Holdings

Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) combines cutting-edge sell-side and buy-side advertising solutions, providing data-driven digital media strategies that enhance reach and performance for brands, agencies, and publishers of all sizes. Our sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers curated access to premium, growth-oriented media properties throughout the digital ecosystem. On the buy-side, Orange 142 delivers customized, audience-focused digital marketing and advertising solutions that enable mid-market and enterprise companies to achieve measurable results across a range of platforms, including programmatic, search, social, CTV, and influencer marketing. With extensive expertise in high-growth sectors such as Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Tourism, and Financial Services, our teams deliver performance strategies that connect brands with their ideal audiences.

At Direct Digital Holdings, we prioritize personal relationships by humanizing technology, ensuring each client receives dedicated support and tailored digital marketing solutions regardless of company size. This empowers everyone to thrive by generating billions of monthly impressions across display, CTV, in-app, and emerging media channels through advanced targeting, comprehensive data insights, and cross-platform activation. DDH is “Digital advertising built for everyone.”

Contacts:

Investors:
IMS Investor Relations
Walter Frank/Jennifer Belodeau
(203) 972-9200
investors@directdigitalholdings.com

Cumulus Media (CMLS) – National Advertising Perplexingly Weak


Friday, October 31, 2025

Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) is an audio-first media company delivering premium content to over a quarter billion people every month — wherever and whenever they want it. Cumulus Media engages listeners with high-quality local programming through 406 owned-and-operated radio stations across 86 markets; delivers nationally-syndicated sports, news, talk, and entertainment programming from iconic brands including the NFL, the NCAA, the Masters, CNN, the AP, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and many other world-class partners across more than 9,500 affiliated stations through Westwood One, the largest audio network in America; and inspires listeners through the Cumulus Podcast Network, its rapidly growing network of original podcasts that are smart, entertaining and thought-provoking. Cumulus Media provides advertisers with personal connections, local impact and national reach through broadcast and on-demand digital, mobile, social, and voice-activated platforms, as well as integrated digital marketing services, powerful influencers, full-service audio solutions, industry-leading research and insights, and live event experiences. Cumulus Media is the only audio media company to provide marketers with local and national advertising performance guarantees. For more information visit www.cumulusmedia.com.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Q3 beats our downcast expectations. Q3 revenue of $180.3 million and adj. EBITDA of $16.7 million, both of which were modestly better than our estimates of $179.0 million and $12.9 million, respectively. Third quarter revenues declined 11.5% from the prior period, adversely affected by the absence of $3.6 million in Political advertising and the absence of The Daily Wire and The Dan Bongino Show. 

DMS remains a bright spot. The Digital Marketing Services (DMS) business remains a bright spot, with revenue surging 34% in the quarter. Notably, the digital segment now represents approximately 50% of total digital segment revenue, helping to offset persistent weakness in the core broadcast radio business.


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Netflix Plans 10-for-1 Stock Split, Aiming to Broaden Employee Ownership and Investor Access

Netflix is moving ahead with a 10-for-1 stock split, a decision aimed at making its shares more affordable for employees and smaller investors. The split, which will take effect on November 17, will reduce the price of each share to roughly one-tenth of its current value while increasing the total number of shares outstanding.

Shares of Netflix closed at $1,089 on Thursday. If the stock split were applied today, each share would trade around $110. The company said the move is designed to bring the price into a range that is more accessible for employees who participate in its stock option program—a strategy often used to encourage greater employee ownership and long-term alignment with company performance.

The announcement sparked a brief rally, with shares climbing as much as 3% before moderating after reports surfaced that Netflix may be exploring a potential bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. The stock still ended the session higher, reflecting renewed investor enthusiasm around the company’s confidence in its financial strength and long-term growth trajectory.

Although a stock split doesn’t alter a company’s overall market value, it can have important psychological and practical effects. By lowering the per-share price, a company makes its stock more approachable for retail investors and employees who might otherwise be deterred by a four-figure share price. Increased liquidity and trading volume often follow, which can narrow bid-ask spreads and potentially boost short-term demand.

Historically, stock splits have sometimes been associated with outperformance in the months after they are announced. Analysts attribute this to improved accessibility, stronger market sentiment, and a perception of management confidence. For Netflix, which has gained over 100,000% since its 2002 IPO, the move underscores how far the company has come—from a DVD-by-mail service to one of the world’s dominant entertainment platforms.

This marks Netflix’s third stock split since going public. The company last executed a 7-for-1 split in 2015, when shares traded above $700, and a 2-for-1 split in 2004. Both prior splits were followed by periods of sustained growth as Netflix expanded internationally and transitioned into original content production.

For employees, the latest split could make stock-based compensation more meaningful by lowering the strike price of future options. For retail investors, particularly those who invest through fractional-free brokerage platforms, the lower per-share price could make Netflix stock more psychologically appealing.

While large-cap firms like Netflix don’t face the same challenges as smaller companies, the move highlights a trend that could influence tech valuations more broadly. When industry leaders adjust pricing structures to make shares more attainable, it can encourage greater participation across the market—something smaller tech firms may also consider as they seek to attract investors and retain talent.

Netflix’s split will officially take effect mid-November, after which the stock will trade on a split-adjusted basis. For investors, the change offers no direct increase in value, but it may represent a renewed vote of confidence in the company’s long-term story—and a reminder that accessibility, perception, and participation all play key roles in market momentum.