TDAY · the NYSE · USD · Market cap $940M · 9,500 employees
USA TODAY Co., Inc.
FAIL · Does not pass the screen
6.40 USD
At the last full screen 2026-08-27
Screened 2026-08-27 · the tape above runs as of 21:00 UTC · two dates, stated on purpose · verdict and workings shown in full · never trimmed
The Label · The Season, Not the Day
This name holds its markdown label.
USA TODAY Co., Inc. holds its Markdown at $6.40. Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 123 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-08-27
Phase
Markdown · caution
Quantitative state
Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 123 days
Price at the screen
$6.40
Valuation
N/A trailing · 18.82 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 70.0
Beta
1.39
The Workings
Five Screens, Shown in Full
Does not pass. Debt ratio
Test
Figure
Limit
What it means
Status
Business activity
Permissible
Core business clean
Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines: no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.
Pass
Debt load
61.73%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is 61.7% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows.
Fail
Interest-bearing cash
0.00%
Below 33%
Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 0.0% of assets, under the one-third limit.
Pass
Receivables
17.08%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 17.1% of assets, under the 49% limit.
Pass
Revenue purity
0.00%
Below 5%
Only 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources, under the 5% line.
Pass
Five checks adapted from AAOIFI screening standards: business activity plus four balance-sheet ratios. All five must pass for ethical clearance. Every figure is arithmetic on public accounts, not judgement.
Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-08-27 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. A 2.0% margin of safety to the base estimate.
Third-party analyst targets: 6 covering, consensus Buy. The average target sits +56% from the screen price.
Reading the gap · Our more conservative model reads it as roughly fairly valued here, while the Street is more bullish: a quality-at-a-fair-price name rather than a deep-value one.
Price History & Projections
Where it has been, where the models see it going. History from market close data; projection points are our fair-value estimates and third-party analyst targets, dated to the 2026-08-27 screen.
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; the Street's range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The Business, in Plain Words
Newspapers cling to subscriptions while revenue slips away
Every morning a subscriber opens their paper, the economics behind it keep getting tighter. USA TODAY Co. shows a 4% revenue drop and just 1% profit margins even as its forward multiple sits at 27 times earnings. With price matching fair value almost exactly and an opportunity rating of none, the numbers point to a business that is neither cheap nor accelerating.
Analysts see upside to a 10 dollar target and the ethical screen clears, yet thin margins and unknown competitive edge leave little room for error. The company mixes legacy print delivery with digital marketing, but negative top-line growth suggests the transition is not yet paying off in scale or durability.
Media remains exposed to ad cycles and shifting reader habits, where low single-digit profitability can vanish quickly if print declines steepen. Valuation leaves no margin of safety at current levels. Analysis, not advice.
The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market; it already moves more than the market on an average day; it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Where & How to Trade
TDAY trades on the NYSE. As a listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering its home market. New to this, or investing from abroad? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The Dated Journal · Newest First, Never Edited
Every Entry, As Written
2026-09-14Markdown · changed$6.40-6.7%Entry 5
The framework has shifted from distribution to markdown since the last review. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 6.7% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B. Technically it is holding around 39% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 125%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 36%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $8.
The framework has shifted from markup to distribution since the last review. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 11.4% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B. Technically it is holding around 39% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 125%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 36%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $8.
2026-07-18Markup$7.74+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B. Technically it is holding around 39% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 125%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 36%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $8.
2026-07-03Markup$7.74+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Markup$7.74Entry 1
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.