GET DAILY SIGNALSiHeartMedia (IHRT) Falls -66% Over 30 Days Following Q3 Earnings Shortfall
Key Takeaways
- iHeartMedia (IHRT) shares fell roughly 66% over the 30-day period into mid-November 2026, sliding from about $1.91 to below $0.70.
- The decline was triggered by a Q3 2026 earnings miss, with revenue of $1.03 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $170 million both below management guidance and analyst estimates.
- Management cited weaker-than-expected political advertising, advertisers delaying spending until after the election, and a faster shift to programmatic audio buying.
- Goldman Sachs lowered its price target to $0.75 from $2.25 while maintaining a Sell rating, and the company's high-yield bonds traded near distressed levels.
- Strong growth in podcasting and digital audio was overshadowed by continued weakness in the broadcast radio Multiplatform Group.
- Balance-sheet concerns resurfaced, with about $5 billion in debt and a highly leveraged capital structure weighing on investor sentiment.
- For deeper detail on the stock's valuation and outlook, explore Price Targets, Earnings, and Forecast pages.
Company Overview and Market Position
iHeartMedia, Inc. is the largest audio media company in the United States, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The company operates more than 860 broadcast radio stations across roughly 160 markets and reaches approximately 90% of Americans each month. Its business is organized into three segments: the Multiplatform Group, which includes broadcast radio, national networks, and live events; the Digital Audio Group, which spans the iHeartRadio streaming service, digital advertising technology, and a podcasting business that ranks as the No. 1 podcast publisher in the U.S.; and the Audio & Media Services Group, which includes Katz Media Group and RCS Sound Software. I also checked this using Tickeron’s AI Screener to see how the stock compares to others in the industry. Investors follow IHRT closely for its scale, its shift toward digital audio and podcasting, and its ongoing effort to manage a large debt load while stabilizing its legacy radio business.
Stock Price Performance: Last 30 Days vs. Quarter
Over the last 30 days, IHRT declined approximately 66%, falling from a closing price of about $1.91 on October 12, 2026, to roughly $0.65 by mid-November. Most of that drop occurred in a single session following the company's third-quarter earnings report, when the stock lost roughly two-thirds of its value on elevated volume.
The broader three-month picture is similarly negative. From a closing level near $2.94 in mid-August 2026, the shares have declined about 78%, reflecting a sustained multi-month downtrend that intensified after the latest earnings release. The stock has set new lows, and the pace of selling has accelerated as credit-market stress compounded equity weakness.
What Drove the Stock in the Last 30 Days
The primary catalyst was the company's Q3 2026 results, reported on November 9, 2026. Consolidated revenue rose 3.3% year over year to $1.03 billion but fell short of guidance for mid-single-digit growth and missed consensus estimates near $1.07 billion. Adjusted EBITDA of $170 million came in below the previously guided range of $180 million to $220 million, and diluted earnings per share was a loss of $0.06. Net loss narrowed to about $8.8 million from $66 million a year earlier, but the revenue and EBITDA shortfall, combined with Q4 guidance below expectations, triggered the selloff.
Management attributed the miss to four factors: lower-than-anticipated political advertising revenue for radio, delayed advertiser spending around the election, a faster-than-expected migration to programmatic buying, and a challenging macroeconomic environment marked by inflation, fuel-price volatility, and elevated consumer uncertainty. Following the report, Goldman Sachs cut its price target to $0.75 from $2.25 while reiterating a Sell rating. The company's May 2029 high-yield bond also tumbled, trading near 58 cents on the dollar, a level typically signaling financial distress. A securities-law investigation notice added to the negative sentiment.
Performance Over the Last Quarter
The quarterly decline reflects a larger narrative of pressure on legacy broadcast advertising and persistent leverage concerns. Through September and October, the stock drifted steadily lower as advertisers continued shifting budgets toward digital and programmatic channels while traditional radio revenue softened. The Digital Audio Group, led by podcasting revenue growth of about 24% year over year, remained a bright spot, but it was not enough to offset the Multiplatform Group's contraction. Broader macroeconomic uncertainty, including record-high policy uncertainty and consumer caution, compounded the drag. The third-quarter earnings miss then crystallized these concerns, converting a gradual decline into a sharp repricing of the stock.
What Investors Should Watch Next
Looking ahead, investors are likely to focus on several factors. First is the company's fourth-quarter guidance, which calls for mid-single-digit revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA of $135 million to $185 million. Second is the rollout of the Audiograph programmatic platform, which management expects to drive roughly $200 million in 2026 programmatic revenue and about $400 million in 2027. Third is the planned separation of podcasting into a standalone reporting segment in 2027, which may improve visibility into the higher-growth parts of the business. Other items to monitor include advertising demand trends, any stabilization in political and core radio spending, progress on cost efficiencies, and the company's ability to manage its roughly $5 billion debt load amid volatile credit markets. These developments, along with macroeconomic conditions and analyst estimate revisions, will shape the stock's next phase. From what I see, I’m watching this closely for any signs of stabilization in the core business.
Using AI Tools for Market Insights
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Contributor
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
IHRT's Stochastic Oscillator descending into oversold zone
The Stochastic Oscillator for IHRT moved into oversold territory on November 10, 2026. Be on the watch for the price uptrend or consolidation in the future. At that time, consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator entered the oversold zone -- be on the watch for IHRT's price rising or consolidating in the future. That's also the time to consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Following a +17.95% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where IHRT advanced for three days, in 205 of 266 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 77%.
IHRT may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on November 10, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on IHRT as a result. In 77 of 85 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 90%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for IHRT turned negative on November 10, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 48 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 43 of the 48 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 90%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where IHRT declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 87%.
The Aroon Indicator for IHRT entered a downward trend on October 30, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 9 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 50 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 61 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (-0.136) is normal, around the industry mean (3.429). P/E Ratio (-0.978) is within average values for comparable stocks, (112.313). IHRT's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (11.300) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (1.298). Dividend Yield (0.000) settles around the average of (0.045) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (0.100) is also within normal values, averaging (8.232).
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 84 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating slightly worse than average price growth. IHRT’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. IHRT’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 97, placing this stock worse than average.
Industry description
Market Cap
High and low price notable news
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Fundamental Analysis Ratings
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
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General Information
a company, which engages in the provision of media and entertainment services
Industry Broadcasting
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