E.W. Scripps (NASDAQ:SSP) Major Shareholder Savannah Brickner Acquires 27,682 Shares of Stock

E.W. Scripps Company (The) (NASDAQ:SSP) major shareholder Savannah Brickner purchased 27,682 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $4.59 per share, for a total transaction of $127,060.38. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 66,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $303,977.34. This trade represents a 71.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

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

• On Monday, March 9th, Savannah Brickner acquired 38,544 shares of E.W. Scripps stock. The shares were purchased at an average price of $4.43 per share, with a total value of $170,749.92.

E.W. Scripps Stock Performance

Shares of E.W. Scripps stock traded up $0.07 on Thursday, hitting $4.24. The stock had a trading volume of 301,026 shares, compared to its average volume of 575,670. The stock has a market cap of $376.61 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.24 and a beta of 0.54. 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 twelve month low of $1.90 and a twelve month high of $4.98. The business’s 50 day moving average is $3.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.40.

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

Key Headlines 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.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On E.W. Scripps

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SSP. D Orazio & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of E.W. Scripps in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of E.W. Scripps during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in E.W. Scripps by 67.1% in the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 14,923 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 5,992 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new position in E.W. Scripps during the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in E.W. Scripps during the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 67.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on SSP shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of E.W. Scripps in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of E.W. Scripps from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of E.W. Scripps from $3.00 to $3.90 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Benchmark lifted their price target 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. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of E.W. Scripps in a research note on Friday, March 6th. 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, E.W. Scripps presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $6.95.

About E.W. Scripps

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.