USA Today (NYSE:TDAY) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results

USA Today (NYSE:TDAY) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, Zacks reports. USA Today had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 5.39%. The business had revenue of $585.00 million during the quarter.

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 Performance

NYSE:TDAY traded down $0.46 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $5.94. 3,150,496 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,497,648. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.66, a current ratio of 0.69 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $873.83 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -54.00 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $5.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.75. USA Today has a twelve month low of $2.55 and a twelve month high of $6.65.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TDAY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of USA Today in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Rosenblatt Securities began coverage on shares of USA Today in a report on Thursday, February 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $10.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of USA Today from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Citizens Jmp boosted their target price on shares of USA Today from $6.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of USA Today from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, USA Today presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $7.70.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On USA Today

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in shares of USA Today by 2.4% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 137,622 shares of the company’s stock worth $493,000 after buying an additional 3,193 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in USA Today by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 84,362 shares of the company’s stock worth $244,000 after acquiring an additional 3,588 shares during the period. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in USA Today by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 139,339 shares of the company’s stock worth $499,000 after acquiring an additional 5,112 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in USA Today by 72.0% during the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 18,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 7,562 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of USA Today by 4.9% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 181,124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $748,000 after purchasing an additional 8,451 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.71% of the company’s stock.

Key USA Today News

Here are the key news stories impacting USA Today this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Citizens Jmp raised its price target on TDAY from $6.00 to $8.00 and assigned a “market outperform” rating — signaling ~35% upside from current levels and providing a near-term catalyst for buyers. Benzinga: Analyst Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Company disclosures and investor materials (earnings slide deck) are now available for deeper scrutiny by investors; these will shape near-term sentiment depending on guidance and margin detail. Earnings Press Release / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call transcript and presentation are published (useful for parsing management commentary on ad trends, subscription performance and cost actions). Investors should watch any commentary on advertising, digital subscription growth and buyback/capital allocation. Seeking Alpha: Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Company publishing routine editorial coverage (e.g., political / event stories) — these drive traffic but are unlikely to move the stock materially absent broader ad or subscription implications. USA Today: Government Shutdown Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Reported Q4 EPS of -$0.21 weighed on the stock; while revenue of $585M was reported, net margin (4.1%) and a high reported debt-to-equity ratio (background D/E ~4.66) highlight profitability and leverage concerns that can amplify downside if ad demand softens. MarketBeat: Earnings Report & Transcript

USA Today Company Profile

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.