E.W. Scripps (NASDAQ:SSP) Major Shareholder Samantha Brickner Purchases 46,412 Shares

E.W. Scripps Company (The) (NASDAQ:SSP) major shareholder Samantha Brickner purchased 46,412 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $4.59 per share, for a total transaction of $213,031.08. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 110,433 shares in the company, valued at $506,887.47. This trade represents a 72.49% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing 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 sales and purchases with the SEC.

E.W. Scripps Trading Up 0.2%

SSP traded up $0.01 during trading on Thursday, reaching $4.18. The company had a trading volume of 209,350 shares, 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. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $3.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.40. The stock has a market cap of $371.01 million, a P/E ratio of -2.24 and a beta of 0.54. E.W. Scripps Company has a 52 week low of $1.90 and a 52 week high of $4.98.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of E.W. Scripps in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on E.W. Scripps from $3.00 to $3.90 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of E.W. Scripps in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Benchmark increased their price target on E.W. Scripps from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. 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 analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $6.95.

Key Stories Impacting E.W. Scripps

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 Trading of E.W. Scripps

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SSP. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in E.W. Scripps by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 246,777 shares of the company’s stock worth $985,000 after acquiring an additional 3,472 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of E.W. Scripps by 2.4% during the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 182,344 shares of the company’s stock valued at $536,000 after acquiring an additional 4,342 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of E.W. Scripps by 18.2% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 31,297 shares of the company’s stock valued at $125,000 after acquiring an additional 4,819 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co. raised its position in shares of E.W. Scripps by 25.8% in the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 24,845 shares of the company’s stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 5,101 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in E.W. Scripps by 67.1% in the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 14,923 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 5,992 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.81% of the company’s stock.

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.