iHeartMedia screens cheap on traditional value multiples, but 4 consecutive earnings misses, a negative asymmetry setup, and elevated implied volatility argue for caution until the turnaround shows through in results.
Thesis pillars
- Fcf Positive Earnings Quality↑Improving
- Attractive Valuation→Stable
- Consecutive Earnings Misses↑Improving
- +2 more pillars — see the Why tab for full reasoning
iHeartMedia, Inc. (IHRT) Stock Analysis
Inst Constrain edge
Communication Services · Broadcasting
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $2.97: Risk below floor (1.5 < 3.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.5/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 5.00; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum.
iHeartMedia is the largest audio media company in the U.S., operating 868 AM/FM radio stations, the iHeartRadio digital platform, the number-one U.S. podcast publisher, live events, and media-representation and software services through Katz Media and RCS. The company generated... Read more
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $2.97: Risk below floor (1.5 < 3.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.5/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 5.00; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Score 4.5/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 5/7 gates (clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, earnings proximity 87d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: speculative.
About iHeartMedia, Inc.
About iHeartMedia, Inc.
iHeartMedia generated $3,875.4 million in 2025 revenue across three segments: Multiplatform Group ($2,273.5 million, including broadcast radio, networks, and events), Digital Audio Group ($1,329.4 million, spanning podcasting and streaming), and Audio & Media Services ($272.5 million, media representation and broadcast software). The company operates 868 AM/FM radio stations, all located in the United States, and ranks as the number-one U.S. podcast publisher with 167 million global monthly downloads and streams.
Advertising sales are iHeartMedia's core revenue engine: broadcast radio spot sales generated $1,633.4 million in 2025, priced on spot length and ratings-measured audience size, while Premiere Networks and Total Traffic & Weather syndication added $439.8 million and live events such as the iHeartRadio Music Festival contributed $182.0 million. Digital revenue split between podcasting ($563.7 million, monetized through host-read and programmatic ad insertion) and other digital streaming and subscription products such as iHeartRadio Plus and All Access ($765.7 million). Katz Media earns commissions representing more than 3,400 non-iHeartMedia radio stations, and RCS licenses broadcast automation and scheduling software to more than 10,000 stations worldwide. Advertiser contracts run from less than one year to multi-year terms with no minimum commitments, and no single advertising category exceeds approximately 5% of total ad revenue, spreading demand-side risk across financial services, automotive, healthcare, telecom, and other categories even as talent contracts and content-acquisition costs remain a meaningful, discretionary expense.
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iHeartMedia's entire broadcast footprint sits under a single regulator's umbrella: all 868 owned and operated radio stations require FCC licenses, radio acquisitions and dispositions require FCC approval under the Communications Act, and the FCC's media-ownership rules remain subject to ongoing agency proceedings that could restrict the company's ability to buy or sell stations in the future. That single-regulator dependency compounds the company's annual goodwill and FCC-license impairment testing cycle — performed every July 1 — which has already produced material impairment charges in recent periods and could recur if advertising demand or station valuations weaken further, a real risk given that macroeconomic uncertainty already dented 2025 advertising revenue, cash flow, and profit margins.
See also: Communication Services · Broadcasting
From iHeartMedia, Inc.'s most recent 10-K filing, extracted July 6, 2026.
Recent developments
updated 2026-08-14Recent Developments — iHeartMedia, Inc.
Latest news
- NEWS iHeartMedia (IHRT) Reports Q2 Loss, Tops Revenue Estimates - Yahoo Finance — Yahoo Finance positive
- NEWS What To Expect From iHeartMedia’s (IHRT) Q2 Earnings - StockStory — StockStory neutral
- NEWS What To Expect From iHeartMedia’s (IHRT) Q2 Earnings - TradingView — TradingView neutral
- NEWS What To Expect From iHeartMedia’s (IHRT) Q2 Earnings - tradingview.com — tradingview.com neutral
- NEWS IHEARTMEDIA Q2 2026 Earnings Preview: Recent $IHRT Insider Trading, Hedge Fund Activity, and More - Quiver Quantitative — Quiver Quantitative neutral
Generated 2026-08-14T16:37:44Z.
Upcoming dated catalysts
Thesis
Key Metrics
Quality Signals
Options Flow
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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Rating Breakdown
5 floor-breakers
Volatile — 10.6% daily ATR makes tight stops impractical. Position-size conservatively.static
Price action weak — below key moving averages, no momentum carry. Needs a base before trend-continuation setups apply.static
No near-term catalyst priced in. Thesis progression will come from fundamentals grinding, not event reaction.static
Growth below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $2.97: Risk below floor (1.5 < 3.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.5/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 5.00; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Prior stop was $2.76. Score 4.5/10, moderate confidence.
Take-profit target: $3.08 (+3.7% upside). Prior stop was $2.76. Stop-loss: $2.76.
Risk below floor (1.5 < 3.0).
iHeartMedia, Inc. trades at a P/E of N/A (forward -7.7). TrendMatrix value score: 7.7/10. Verdict: Sell.
9 analysts cover IHRT with a consensus score of 2.2/5. Average price target: $4.
What does iHeartMedia, Inc. do?iHeartMedia is the largest audio media company in the U.S., operating 868 AM/FM radio stations, the iHeartRadio digital...
iHeartMedia is the largest audio media company in the U.S., operating 868 AM/FM radio stations, the iHeartRadio digital platform, the number-one U.S. podcast publisher, live events, and media-representation and software services through Katz Media and RCS. The company generated $3,875.4 million in 2025 revenue across its Multiplatform ($2,273.5M), Digital Audio ($1,329.4M), and Audio & Media Services ($272.5M) segments, primarily from advertising sales.