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USA TODAY Co.

TDAY
36
Publishing · Communication Services
Winston Score
36
Winston is serious
Below-average fundamentals — multiple weak pillars.

USA TODAY Co., Inc. publishes news and information for general consumers across the United States. Its core product is the USA TODAY newspaper and its digital news website, which cover national news, sports, entertainment, and money topics. The company also owns a network of local newspapers across dozens of U.S. states, making it one of the largest newspaper publishers in the country.

The company earns money through print and digital advertising, paid subscriptions, and licensing deals with other media outlets. It operates almost entirely within the United States and has been working to shift readers from print to digital platforms. The biggest challenge the business faces is the long-term decline in print advertising revenue, which has been shrinking for years across the entire newspaper industry, and whether digital subscription growth can replace those lost dollars fast enough to keep the company profitable.

Winston Score History

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-4.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

+374.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

EPS growth accelerating

Insider Activity

30.6%ownership

Flat

Insiders holding steady — not selling despite ability to

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$85M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↓ Burn rate worsening

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

USA TODAY Co.'s revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

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Quality

Gross Margin
34.6%
Modest — 34.6% gross margin
Operating Margin
7.1%
Modest — 7.1% operating margin
ROCE
3.4%
Weak — 3.4% return on capital

ROIC between 0% and 5%. They earn a few cents back per dollar invested in the business.

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Growth

Sales YoY
-6.8%
Shrinking sales (-6.8% YoY)
EPS YoY
-38.1%
Earnings shrinking (-38.1% YoY)

Earnings per share down more than 10%. Either a bad year, or a real decline.

EPS Consistency
4/8 quarters
Earnings inconsistent quarter-to-quarter

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Cash Flow

Cash Conversion
381%
Turns 381% of profit into real cash
FCF Margin
2.6%
Thin free cash flow (2.6%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

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Stability

Debt / Equity
7.02
Heavy debt load (7.02)
Interest Cover
1.29x
Dangerous — barely covers interest (1.3x)

Interest coverage between 1 and 3. Profits cover interest, but with little room to spare.

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Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)
39.0x
no trend
Pricey — P/E 39.0

P/E over 35. The market is pricing in heavy, sustained growth.

P/E vs Forward
+2.6
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow — slightly cheaper on forward P/E

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Dividends

Not applicable for this business.
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