USA Today (NYSE:TDAY) Releases Earnings Results

by · The Markets Daily

USA Today (NYSE:TDAY – Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported ($0.21) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, Zacks reports. USA Today had a return on equity of 42.98% and a net margin of 4.11%.

Here are the key takeaways from USA Today’s conference call:

  • Company reported its strongest profitability in years with Total Adjusted EBITDA of $91.1 million (up ~17% YoY), margin expansion of ~300 bps to ~15.6%, Q4 free cash flow of $31.5 million and full‑year net income positive for the first time since 2019.
  • Digital momentum accelerated as digital revenues exceeded 47% of total revenue, same‑store digital revenue returned to year‑over‑year growth, digital advertising grew sequentially, and digital‑only ARPU reached a record $9.81 (up ~24% YoY).
  • Management highlighted multiyear AI licensing deals (including with Meta and Microsoft) that drove a ~27% increase in “digital other” revenue and contributed meaningfully to Q4 results, though they cautioned AI licensing timing and recognition can be lumpy.
  • Operational headwinds remain in LocaliQ and print—LocaliQ customer counts and revenue need improvement despite near‑record ARPU, and print/commercial revenues continue secular declines with recovery expected only in the back half of 2026.
  • Balance sheet progress: the company repaid about $136 million of long‑term debt, reduced First Lien Net Leverage to 2.4x (targeting nearer ~2.0x in 2026), and trimmed interest costs via a 50 bp rate reduction on the 2029 term loan.

USA Today Stock Up 4.9%

NYSE TDAY traded up $0.30 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $6.42. 1,924,454 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,426,098. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.66. USA Today has a 1-year low of $2.55 and a 1-year high of $6.65. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.49 and a 200-day simple moving average of $4.72. The company has a market cap of $944.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.57 and a beta of 1.59.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TDAY has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded USA Today from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Rosenblatt Securities began coverage on USA Today in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $10.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of USA Today in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised USA Today from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $7.55.

Read Our Latest Research Report on TDAY

Institutional Trading of USA Today

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in TDAY. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in USA Today in the fourth quarter valued at $45,000. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado acquired a new stake in shares of USA Today in the 4th quarter valued at about $53,000. Cruiser Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of USA Today during the fourth quarter worth about $57,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC acquired a new position in USA Today in the fourth quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in USA Today in the fourth quarter worth about $58,000. Institutional investors own 76.71% of the company’s stock.

USA Today Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Gannett Co, Inc (NYSE: GCI) is a media and marketing solutions company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. As the largest U.S. newspaper publisher by circulation, Gannett publishes USA Today alongside more than 260 local news brands. The company’s multimedia platforms include daily and weekly newspapers, websites, mobile apps and a network of subscription-based digital products.

In addition to journalism and content production, Gannett offers a suite of digital marketing services designed to help small and medium-sized businesses grow online.

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