E.W. Scripps (NASDAQ:SSP) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.19 EPS

E.W. Scripps (NASDAQ:SSP) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported ($0.34) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.53) by $0.19, Zacks reports. E.W. Scripps had a negative net margin of 58.02% and a negative return on equity of 3.00%. The firm had revenue of $490.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $511.65 million.

E.W. Scripps Stock Performance

NASDAQ:SSP opened at $3.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.58. The company has a fifty day moving average of $3.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.57. E.W. Scripps has a fifty-two week low of $2.02 and a fifty-two week high of $5.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $303.91 million, a PE ratio of -0.24 and a beta of 0.65.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on SSP. Zacks Research raised shares of E.W. Scripps from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Benchmark cut their price target on E.W. Scripps from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen raised E.W. Scripps to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of E.W. Scripps in a research report on Friday, May 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $5.95.

Key Headlines Impacting E.W. Scripps

Here are the key news stories impacting E.W. Scripps this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Scripps said it is targeting $100 million in annualized cost savings by year-end, a plan that could improve profitability and cash flow as the company restructures its local television operations. Scripps targets $100 million in annual run-rate savings
• Positive Sentiment: Management forecast approximately $225 million to $250 million in political advertising revenue, providing an important potential boost during the 2026 election cycle. Political advertising and savings outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted results were viewed as better than feared in some estimates: Scripps reported a loss of $0.34 per share, compared with a consensus estimate of a $0.53 loss in one widely followed estimate. Management also highlighted artificial intelligence and a 24-hour streaming-news model as opportunities to reduce operating costs and expand content distribution. Scripps reports second-quarter financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: The company is implementing a transformation plan centered on AI-enabled local news production and streaming. The strategy could improve efficiency, but its effect on audience growth and long-term revenue remains unproven. Scripps layoffs and AI strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue was $490.4 million, below the approximately $511.7 million consensus estimate, while the company remained unprofitable. Some estimates also showed the per-share loss was worse than expected, underscoring continued earnings pressure. Scripps reports second-quarter loss
• Negative Sentiment: Scripps has cut roughly 12% of its workforce, primarily at local television stations. The layoffs may support the savings target but also highlight significant pressure on the traditional television business and execution risk from the restructuring. Scripps workforce reductions

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Molly E. Mccabe sold 142,970 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.48, for a total value of $497,535.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 123,523 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $429,860.04. This trade represents a 53.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders sold 326,675 shares of company stock worth $1,117,887. Company insiders own 5.24% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of E.W. Scripps

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of E.W. Scripps in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in E.W. Scripps by 67.1% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 14,923 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 5,992 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in E.W. Scripps during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new position in E.W. Scripps during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Oxford Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in E.W. Scripps during the second quarter worth approximately $46,000. 67.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

E.W. Scripps Company Profile

The E.W. Scripps Company is a diversified U.S. media organization headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Established in 1878 by Edward Willis Scripps, the company began as a newspaper publisher before expanding into broadcast television, cable networks and digital journalism. Today, Scripps combines a legacy of local news reporting with a growing portfolio of national cable channels and digital platforms.

Scripps operates more than 60 television stations across over 40 markets, delivering local news, weather, sports and entertainment programming to communities in both large and mid-sized U.S.