# Nexstar Media Group Inc. (NXST) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Communication Services / Media. Price $176.83, market value $5.4 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 33.4×** (5-yr avg 20.3×, 3-yr avg 29.4×). Nexstar Media Group Inc. trades at 33.4× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 20.3×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Communication Services median in the September 2026 study was 21.1×. Forward P/E is 7.6×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 0.9×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.9×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 2.4×**. The shares trade at 2.4× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 8.3×**. Enterprise value is 8.3× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 13.6%** (5-yr avg 18.1%). Free cash flow equals 13.6% of the market value, below its five-year average of 18.1%, so the shares are pricier on cash than usual. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 3.0%**. The inverse of the P/E: 3.0% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 17.8%**. 17.8% of revenue is left after running the business, a healthy level in most sectors.
- **Net margin: 2.2%**. 2.2% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 5.3%**. 5.3% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 10.2%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 10.2%.
- **Return on assets: 1.7%**. Each dollar of assets produces 1.7% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): -8.5%** (3-yr -1.7%/yr, 5-yr 1.9%/yr). Revenue fell 8.5% over the last year, against 1.9% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -86.0%** (3-yr -50.1%/yr, 5-yr -29.6%/yr). Earnings per share fell 86.0%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): -15.8%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at -15.8% a year over three years, keeping pace with earnings: the growth is real cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 3.07**. Debt is 3.07 times equity, a leveraged balance sheet that needs steady cash flow to service.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 4.4×**. It would take 4.4 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, above the 3× level most lenders treat as comfortable.
- **Altman Z-score: 1.35**. A Z-score of 1.35 is in the distress zone, a signal to examine the balance sheet closely.
- **Piotroski F-score: 4/9**. 4 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 4.21%** ($7.44 per share, trailing). Nexstar Media Group Inc. yields 4.21%, an income-level yield.
- **Payout ratio: 207%** (30% of free cash flow). The dividend exceeds earnings (207% payout), though free cash flow still covers it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 13**. 13 straight years of increases, a record that survived at least one recession.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 27.1%/yr** (1-yr 10.1%). The dividend has compounded at 27.1% a year over five years, doubling roughly every 3 years at that pace.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: strong_buy** (8 analysts). 8 analysts cover Nexstar Media Group Inc.; the consensus is strong_buy, with an average price target of $246.75 (+40% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): -12.1%** (YTD -11.4%, 3-mo -2.9%). The shares are down 12.1% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -30.5%** (14.5% above the low). Trading 30% below its 52-week high, deep in a drawdown.
- **200-day average: below**. The price sits below its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of a downtrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 40**. An RSI of 40 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.51** (volatility 35%). Beta of 0.51 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=NXST · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/nxst

Not investment advice.