GET DAILY SIGNALSWhy Is E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) Stock Up +15.17% Today?
Key Takeaways
- SSP shares climbed roughly 15.2% in Wednesday trading, rising from a prior close of $2.01 to about $2.32 intraday.
- The primary catalyst was a sharp upward revision to the company's fiscal 2026 political advertising revenue forecast, now expected to reach roughly $275 million.
- A secondary driver was the company's restructuring update, including workforce reductions aimed at boosting EBITDA by up to $150 million by 2028.
- The move reflects broad investor enthusiasm around midterm-election ad spending and improved cost discipline in the local-television broadcasting sector.
- Investors will watch third-quarter earnings on November 5, 2026, along with any updates on retransmission fees and the advertising outlook.
- For more details on this ticker's Price Targets, Earnings, and Forecast, explore the additional pages available on Tickeron.
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Opening Summary
The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP), a Cincinnati-based media enterprise operating local broadcast television stations and national networks such as Ion, Bounce, Grit, and Court TV, saw its stock surge in Wednesday's session. Shares advanced approximately 15.2%, climbing from a previous closing price of $2.01 to roughly $2.32 intraday. The upward move was driven primarily by the company's announcement that it expects fiscal 2026 political advertising revenue to reach approximately $275 million — a roughly 40% increase over the 2022 midterm cycle and well above its earlier guidance range.
Catalyst Breakdown
Political Advertising Revenue Guidance
The dominant driver of the rally was an upgraded outlook for political advertising. Scripps said it now projects about $275 million in political ad revenue for the 2026 midterm elections, up sharply from prior full-year guidance of $225 million to $250 million. The company reported nearly $81 million in political revenue during the third quarter alone, underscoring elevated spending by candidates and advocacy groups in key battleground states including Michigan, Ohio, and Florida. For investors, the revision signaled stronger-than-expected monetization of Scripps' local station footprint at a critical point in the election cycle.
Restructuring and Cost Discipline
Alongside the revenue update, the company outlined further progress on a strategic transformation aimed at improving profitability. Scripps disclosed additional workforce reductions, bringing total 2026 layoffs to roughly 850 employees — close to 20% of its workforce — as part of a plan targeting $125 million to $150 million in incremental EBITDA by 2028, with anticipated annual savings of about $100 million beginning in the fourth quarter. While job cuts are inherently difficult, markets interpreted the measures as a credible path toward narrowing losses and strengthening free cash flow.
Technical Rebound After a Prolonged Decline
The rally also carried the hallmarks of a technical rebound. SSP had been sliding for weeks, recently touching its 52-week low near $1.92, leaving the stock heavily discounted on valuation metrics. With a price-to-sales ratio far below its historical median and a modest market capitalization, the positive operational update gave bargain-hunting investors and short-term traders a clear reason to re-enter the name, fueling a sharp intraday reversal.
Market Context and Trading Activity
Trading volume was elevated relative to the stock's recent activity, reflecting strong participation around the news. The move occurred against a backdrop of heightened focus on political-advertising beneficiaries in the broadcasting sector, as investors positioned ahead of the November midterms. The advance was largely company-specific, however, rather than a broad market phenomenon, given that the revised guidance and restructuring details were idiosyncratic to Scripps. The bounce lifted the stock decisively off its recent lows, though it remains well below its 52-week high near $5.39.
What Comes Next for SSP
The next major event on the calendar is the company's third-quarter 2026 earnings report on November 5, 2026, when management is expected to provide further color on political advertising momentum, retransmission consent fees, and the pace of cost savings. Analysts currently hold a consensus "Hold" rating on the shares, with views on the stock's fair value spanning a wide range. Key uncertainties include the sustainability of political ad spending after the election, ongoing declines in traditional television viewership, and the company's elevated debt load relative to its cash flow. While the upgraded guidance and restructuring plan have improved sentiment, investors will be watching whether the company can translate the improved outlook into concrete bottom-line progress in the quarters ahead.
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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.
SSP in upward trend: price may jump up because it broke its lower Bollinger Band on October 23, 2026
SSP may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options. In 34 of 41 cases where SSP's price broke its lower Bollinger Band, its price rose further in the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 83%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator demonstrates that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 2 days, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator shows that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 5 days. The price of this ticker is presumed to bounce back soon, since the longer the ticker stays in the oversold zone, the more promptly an upward trend is expected.
Following a +5.38% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where SSP advanced for three days, in 219 of 268 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 82%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on October 16, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on SSP as a result. In 79 of 93 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 85%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for SSP turned negative on October 20, 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 44 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 39 of the 44 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 89%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where SSP 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 84%.
The Aroon Indicator for SSP entered a downward trend on October 27, 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 Valuation Rating of 10 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is seriously undervalued 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 (-0.585) is normal, around the industry mean (3.303). P/E Ratio (-0.143) is within average values for comparable stocks, (112.106). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.050) is also within normal values, averaging (1.298). SSP has a moderately high Dividend Yield (0.100) as compared to the industry average of (0.048). P/S Ratio (0.135) 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. SSP’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued 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 PE Growth Rating for this company is 97 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average 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 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. SSP’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 98, placing this stock worse than average.
Industry description
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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 publisher of newspapers and operates television stations
Industry Broadcasting
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