E.W. Scripps (NASDAQ:SSP) Major Shareholder Savannah Brickner Buys 38,544 Shares

E.W. Scripps Company (The) (NASDAQ:SSP) major shareholder Savannah Brickner acquired 38,544 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $4.43 per share, with a total value of $170,749.92. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 38,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $170,749.92. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Savannah Brickner also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, March 10th, Savannah Brickner bought 27,682 shares of E.W. Scripps stock. The shares were bought at an average price of $4.59 per share, with a total value of $127,060.38.

E.W. Scripps Price Performance

Shares of SSP traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $4.18. 209,350 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 572,677. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.13. E.W. Scripps Company has a fifty-two week low of $1.90 and a fifty-two week high of $4.98. The company has a market cap of $371.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.24 and a beta of 0.54. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $3.70 and its 200 day moving average is $3.40.

E.W. Scripps (NASDAQ:SSP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by ($0.52). The company had revenue of $560.26 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $550.82 million. E.W. Scripps had a negative net margin of 4.69% and a negative return on equity of 0.27%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that E.W. Scripps Company will post 1.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on SSP shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of E.W. Scripps in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Benchmark boosted their price objective on shares of E.W. Scripps from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of E.W. Scripps in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on E.W. Scripps from $3.00 to $3.90 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered E.W. Scripps from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $6.95.

More E.W. Scripps News

Here are the key news stories impacting E.W. Scripps this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large, concentrated insider buying: multiple major shareholders and directors reported substantial purchases this week (e.g., Margaret Scripps Klenzing’s 159,515‑share buy), signaling owner confidence and reducing perceived sell pressure. SEC Filing – Margaret Scripps Klenzing
• Positive Sentiment: Insiders broadly increasing positions: dozens of buys by Scripps family members and major holders (reported across March 9–11), which traders interpret as a bullish signal and can spur short‑covering or momentum buying. TipRanks: Insiders Quietly Pile Into Scripps
• Positive Sentiment: New national sports programming deal: Scripps’ ION will televise the first‑ever nationally televised PWHL game in the U.S. (Mar. 28), supporting ad/affiliate upside and national distribution for Scripps’ broadcast network. PR Newswire: Ally and Scripps Sports Partner with PWHL
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upside: brokers show a consensus target (~$6.95) well above current levels, providing a valuation narrative for buyers and supporting positive sentiment among retail/institutional investors. American Banking News: $6.95 Average Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest figures in recent snapshots appear inconsistent (reports show 0 or NaN), so there’s no reliable evidence of short squeeze risk or short covering driving moves — treat short‑data as unresolved until exchange confirmation.
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamentals and leverage remain headwinds: Scripps missed EPS estimates in its Feb. 25 quarter and carries a high debt‑to‑equity ratio (~3.1). Those factors limit sustainable upside absent margin improvement or clearer cash‑flow progress.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On E.W. Scripps

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in E.W. Scripps by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 316,113 shares of the company’s stock worth $936,000 after purchasing an additional 25,070 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in E.W. Scripps in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $117,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in E.W. Scripps by 6.4% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,231,807 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,618,000 after buying an additional 74,435 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of E.W. Scripps by 0.7% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,516,298 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,459,000 after buying an additional 10,957 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bailard Inc. grew its stake in shares of E.W. Scripps by 47.5% during the second quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 89,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 28,858 shares during the last quarter. 67.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

E.W. Scripps Company Profile

The E.W. Scripps Company is a diversified U.S. media organization headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Established in 1878 by Edward Willis Scripps, the company began as a newspaper publisher before expanding into broadcast television, cable networks and digital journalism. Today, Scripps combines a legacy of local news reporting with a growing portfolio of national cable channels and digital platforms.

Scripps operates more than 60 television stations across over 40 markets, delivering local news, weather, sports and entertainment programming to communities in both large and mid-sized U.S.