Nexstar Media Group, Inc (NXST) AI Stock Analysis

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a media company focused on acquiring, developing, and operating television stations, interactive community websites, and digital media services in the United States. Its core mission is providing free television programming to audiences. As of December 31, 2020, its portfolio included 198 owned, operated, or serviced television stations affiliated with networks such as ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, The CW, and MyNetworkTV. Nexstar also delivers video and display advertising solutions across proprietary and third-party digital platforms, and its assets include WGN America, a national general entertainment cable network.

Between FY2020 and FY2025, Nexstar achieved a 5-year revenue CAGR of 1.9%. Annual revenue fluctuated, moving from $4.65B in FY2021 to $5.21B in FY2022, $4.93B in FY2023, $5.41B in FY2024, and $4.95B in FY2025. In FY2025, revenue declined 8.5%, while gross margin dropped to 39.0% and net income fell to $109.0M from $722.0M in FY2024. For the trailing twelve months, revenue totaled $5.88B with an operating margin of 21.2% and EPS of $5.28. In the latest quarter ended June 30, 2026, quarterly revenue grew 62.2% year-over-year, and quarterly earnings grew 18.0%.

As of June 30, 2026, Nexstar held $218.0M in cash and short-term investments alongside total debt of $12.09B, resulting in net debt of $11.87B. Shareholders' equity stood at $2.27B, bringing the debt-to-equity ratio to 5.34, while the current ratio was 1.56. In FY2025, operating cash flow was $891.0M and free cash flow was $743.0M. Capital expenditures used $148.0M, dividends paid consumed $169.0M, and share buybacks totaled $120.0M, contributing to a 5-year share count change of -27.6%.

Nexstar has a market capitalization of $5.07B and an enterprise value of $16.74B. It trades at a trailing P/E of 31.2x, which is above the 16.2x median of its US-listed Communication Services peers. However, its forward P/E of 8.9x sits below the peer median of 14.1x, and its EV to EBITDA is 11.0x versus the peer median of 10.0x. Over the past year, NXST generated a return of -9.8%, trailing the S&P 500 (SPY) return of 16.8%. Over five years, NXST gained 29.2% compared to 83.0% for the index.

Nexstar pays a forward annual dividend of $7.44 per share, translating to a dividend yield of 4.52% and a payout ratio of 47.8%. The company has paid dividends for 14 consecutive years and generated a 5-year annualized dividend growth rate of 27.1%. Dividends are distributed quarterly, with the last ex-dividend date occurring on August 14, 2026.

Wall Street coverage includes 6 Strong Buy and 2 Buy ratings, with no Hold, Sell, or StrongSell recommendations. The mean price target of $246.75 implies upside of 49.9% over the last close of $164.59. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, analysts estimate EPS of $35.06 on revenue of $7.80B. Over the last four quarters, Nexstar exceeded EPS estimates twice. The next earnings report is scheduled for November 5, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc (NXST). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

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