Ziff Davis, Inc. (ZD)Communication Services | Advertising Agencies | New York, United States | NasdaqGS
55.82 USD
After hours: 55.82 |
Hot Take ↕ | Aug. 22, 2026, 4:16 a.m. EDT
The investment case for Ziff Davis is currently broken by a severe multi-year structural decline. Despite a technically attractive forward P/E of 9.3x, the company has suffered four consecutive years of negative annual returns, dropping nearly 34% cumulatively over the last nine years. This persistent price erosion suggests the market views the current valuation as insufficient to compensate for the deteriorating business trajectory, rendering the low multiple a 'value trap' rather than a bargain. Fundamentally, the picture is mixed: while profit margins remain robust at 45%, revenue is contracting at 2.7% annually and return on equity is negative, signaling that top-line weakness is eroding shareholder value. The absence of any dividend history eliminates income appeal. While the stock trades below book value, the relentless downward trend in price anchors indicates that the market is pricing in significant further downside or a failure to reverse the revenue slide. The options market confirms this pessimism, with heavy positioning in downside protection and virtually no speculative call activity. Until there is clear evidence of sustained revenue recovery and a halt to the multi-year decline, the risk-reward profile remains unfavorable. |
| Model | MAE |
|---|---|
| MSTL ✓ | 0.098475 |
| AutoETS | 0.105109 |
| AutoARIMA | 0.105109 |
| AutoTheta | 0.105479 |
Forecast horizon: 45 days | Selected: MSTL
| Forecast Reliability | |
|---|---|
| Score | 35% |
| H-stat | 47.44 |
| Ljung-Box p | 0.000 |
| Jarque-Bera p | 0.093 |
| Excess Kurtosis | -1.40 |
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Sector | Communication Services |
| Ex Dividend Date | 2019-05-16 |
| Last Dividend Date | 2019-05-16 |
| Debt to Equity Ratio | 39.98 |
| Revenue per Share | 37.45 |
| Market Cap | 1,913,911,936 |
| Forward P/E | 9.31 |
| Beta | 1.02 |
| Profit Margins | 44.75% |
| Previous Name | J2 Global, Inc. |
| Website | https://www.ziffdavis.com |
As of Aug. 22, 2026, 4:16 a.m. EDT: Speculators are overwhelmingly bearish, with open interest concentrated entirely in out-of-the-money puts across all expirations. There is zero open interest in in-the-money puts, indicating no hedging demand from shareholders. Conversely, call activity is sparse and heavily skewed toward deep out-of-the-money strikes, suggesting speculative bets on a rebound rather than a conviction in immediate upside. Implied volatility is elevated for near-term downside protection compared to upside speculation.
| Date | Dividend | Yield % |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-17 | 0.395652 | 0.525222 |
| 2019-02-22 | 0.386957 | 0.514333 |
| 2018-11-16 | 0.378261 | 0.598350 |
| 2018-08-17 | 0.369565 | 0.532248 |
| 2018-05-17 | 0.360870 | 0.481551 |
| 2018-02-21 | 0.352174 | 0.524679 |
| 2017-11-16 | 0.343478 | 0.538440 |
| 2017-08-10 | 0.334783 | 0.534129 |
| 2017-05-17 | 0.326087 | 0.457429 |
| 2017-02-17 | 0.317391 | 0.443445 |
| 2016-11-16 | 0.308696 | 0.479277 |
| 2016-08-15 | 0.300000 | 0.506459 |
| 2016-05-16 | 0.291304 | 0.532421 |
| 2016-02-19 | 0.282609 | 0.450701 |
| 2015-11-13 | 0.273913 | 0.409836 |
| 2015-08-13 | 0.267826 | 0.422612 |
| 2015-05-15 | 0.260870 | 0.446363 |
| 2015-02-19 | 0.254783 | 0.437706 |
| 2014-11-13 | 0.247826 | 0.515091 |
| 2014-08-14 | 0.241739 | 0.522164 |
| 2014-05-15 | 0.234783 | 0.585938 |
| 2014-02-20 | 0.228696 | 0.530029 |
| 2013-11-14 | 0.221739 | 0.548387 |
| 2013-08-15 | 0.214783 | 0.485457 |
| 2013-05-16 | 0.208696 | 0.605909 |
| 2013-02-21 | 0.202609 | 0.661181 |
| 2012-11-07 | 0.391304 | 1.530090 |
| 2012-08-09 | 0.191304 | 0.765749 |
| 2012-05-14 | 0.186957 | 0.879348 |
| 2012-02-23 | 0.182609 | 0.697444 |
| 2011-11-09 | 0.178261 | 0.729798 |
| 2011-08-31 | 0.173913 | 0.625978 |
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| 52 Week Change | 0.47049522 |
| Address1 | 360 Park Avenue South |
| Address2 | 17th Floor |
| All Time High | 135.0 |
| All Time Low | 0.190217 |
| Ask | 71.73 |
| Ask Size | 2 |
| Audit Risk | 1 |
| Average Analyst Rating | 2.0 - Buy |
| Average Daily Volume10 Day | 445,220 |
| Average Daily Volume3 Month | 629,611 |
| Average Volume | 629,611 |
| Average Volume10Days | 445,220 |
| Beta | 1.018 |
| Bid | 55.73 |
| Bid Size | 2 |
| Board Risk | 1 |
| Book Value | 63.995 |
| City | New York |
| Compensation As Of Epoch Date | 1,767,139,200 |
| Compensation Risk | 1 |
| Country | United States |
| Crypto Tradeable | 0 |
| Currency | USD |
| Current Price | 55.82 |
| Current Ratio | 2.164 |
| Custom Price Alert Confidence | HIGH |
| Date Short Interest | 1,786,665,600 |
| Day High | 56.67 |
| Day Low | 55.67 |
| Debt To Equity | 39.98 |
| Display Name | Ziff Davis |
| Dividend Date | 1,559,606,400 |
| Earnings Call Timestamp End | 1,786,105,800 |
| Earnings Call Timestamp Start | 1,786,105,800 |
| Earnings Growth | 26.32 |
| Earnings Quarterly Growth | 22.705 |
| Earnings Timestamp | 1,786,046,400 |
| Earnings Timestamp End | 1,793,908,800 |
| Earnings Timestamp Start | 1,793,908,800 |
| Ebitda | 398,044,992 |
| Ebitda Margins | 0.2768 |
| Enterprise To Ebitda | 3.021 |
| Enterprise To Revenue | 0.836 |
| Enterprise Value | 1,202,339,968 |
| Eps Current Year | 5.12828 |
| Eps Forward | 5.99887 |
| Eps Trailing Twelve Months | -0.85 |
| Esg Populated | 0 |
| Ex Dividend Date | 1,558,051,200 |
| Exchange | NMS |
| Exchange Data Delayed By | 0 |
| Exchange Timezone Name | America/New_York |
| Exchange Timezone Short Name | EDT |
| Fifty Day Average | 52.6668 |
| Fifty Day Average Change | 3.1531982 |
| Fifty Day Average Change Percent | 0.0598707 |
| Fifty Two Week Change Percent | 47.049522 |
| Fifty Two Week High | 58.06 |
| Fifty Two Week High Change | -2.2400017 |
| Fifty Two Week High Change Percent | -0.038580805 |
| Fifty Two Week Low | 22.45 |
| Fifty Two Week Low Change | 33.37 |
| Fifty Two Week Low Change Percent | 1.4864142 |
| Fifty Two Week Range | 22.45 - 58.06 |
| Financial Currency | USD |
| First Trade Date Milliseconds | 932,736,600,000 |
| Five Year Avg Dividend Yield | 1.75 |
| Float Shares | 30,798,485 |
| Forward Eps | 5.99887 |
| Forward P E | 9.305086 |
| Free Cashflow | 519,709,248 |
| Full Exchange Name | NasdaqGS |
| Full Time Employees | 3,900 |
| Fullday Change | 0.0 |
| Fullday Change Percent | 0.0 |
| Fullday Price | 55.82 |
| Gmt Off Set Milliseconds | -14,400,000 |
| Governance Epoch Date | 1,785,542,400 |
| Gross Margins | 0.85010004 |
| Gross Profits | 1,222,466,048 |
| Has Pre Post Market Data | 1 |
| Held Percent Insiders | 0.0368 |
| Held Percent Institutions | 1.23211 |
| Implied Shares Outstanding | 34,287,208 |
| Industry | Advertising Agencies |
| Industry Disp | Advertising Agencies |
| Industry Key | advertising-agencies |
| Is Earnings Date Estimate | 0 |
| Language | en-US |
| Last Dividend Date | 1,558,051,200 |
| Last Dividend Value | 0.395652 |
| Last Fiscal Year End | 1,767,139,200 |
| Last Split Date | 1,633,651,200 |
| Last Split Factor | 115:100 |
| Long Business Summary | Ziff Davis, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital media and internet company in the United States and internationally. It offers online resources for laboratory-based product reviews, technology news, buying guides, and research papers under the PCMag and CNET brands; Mashable for publishing technology and culture content; Spiceworks provides digital content of IT products and services; RetailMeNot, a savings destination platform; VoucherCodes; Offers.com, a coupon and deals website; and event based properties, includes BlackFriday.com, TheBlackFriday.com, BestBlackFriday.com, and DealsofAmerica.com. It also offers gaming and entertainment platforms under the IGN Entertainment and Humble Bundle brands; and information on internet connectivity under the Speedtest, Ookla, Ekahau, Downdetector, and RootMetrics brands. The company also offers digital content and information services for health and wellness consumers under the Everyday Health, DailyOM, Lose It!, Castle Connolly, and Migraine Again brands; pregnancy and parenting content under the BabyCenter, Mom 2.0, Emma's Diary, Medpage Today, and What to Expect brands. In addition, it offers PRIME Education, a medical education program for healthcare professionals; and Health eCareers, a digital portal for healthcare professionals. Further, it provides endpoint and email security, security awareness training, secure backup and file sharing, and virtual private network solutions under the IPVanish, VIPRE, Livedrive, Inspired eLearning, and SugarSync brands; and email marketing and delivery solutions, search engine optimization tools, and voice and text communication services under the Campaigner, iContact, SMTP, Kickbox, Full Contact, MOZ Pro, MOZ Local, Stat Analytics, eVoice, and Line2 brands. The company was formerly known as j2 Global, Inc. and changed its name to Ziff Davis, Inc. in October 2021. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in New York, New York. |
| Long Name | Ziff Davis, Inc. |
| Market | us_market |
| Market Cap | 1,913,911,936 |
| Market State | CLOSED |
| Max Age | 86,400 |
| Message Board Id | finmb_121509 |
| Most Recent Quarter | 1,782,777,600 |
| Name Change Date | 2,026-08-29 |
| Net Income To Common | -29,694,000 |
| Next Fiscal Year End | 1,798,675,200 |
| Non Diluted Market Cap | 1,913,911,950 |
| Number Of Analyst Opinions | 5 |
| Open | 55.83 |
| Operating Cashflow | 448,296,992 |
| Operating Margins | 0.04156 |
| Overall Risk | 1 |
| Payout Ratio | 0.0 |
| Peg Ratio | 1.52 |
| Phone | 212 503 3500 |
| Post Market Change | 0.0 |
| Post Market Change Percent | 0.0 |
| Post Market Price | 55.82 |
| Post Market Time | 1,787,959,804 |
| Prev Name | J2 Global, Inc. |
| Previous Close | 55.82 |
| Price Eps Current Year | 10.884741 |
| Price Hint | 2 |
| Price To Book | 0.8722557 |
| Price To Sales Trailing12 Months | 1.3309281 |
| Profit Margins | 0.44748002 |
| Quick Ratio | 2.09 |
| Quote Source Name | Nasdaq Real Time Price |
| Quote Type | EQUITY |
| Recommendation Key | buy |
| Recommendation Mean | 2.0 |
| Region | US |
| Regular Market Change | 0.0 |
| Regular Market Change Percent | 0.0 |
| Regular Market Day High | 56.67 |
| Regular Market Day Low | 55.67 |
| Regular Market Day Range | 55.67 - 56.67 |
| Regular Market Open | 55.83 |
| Regular Market Previous Close | 55.82 |
| Regular Market Price | 55.82 |
| Regular Market Time | 1,787,947,200 |
| Regular Market Volume | 285,509 |
| Return On Assets | 0.03095 |
| Return On Equity | -0.01456 |
| Revenue Growth | -0.027 |
| Revenue Per Share | 37.45 |
| Sand P52 Week Change | 0.20504117 |
| Sector | Communication Services |
| Sector Disp | Communication Services |
| Sector Key | communication-services |
| Share Holder Rights Risk | 2 |
| Shares Outstanding | 34,287,208 |
| Shares Percent Shares Out | 0.13069999 |
| Shares Short | 4,482,523 |
| Shares Short Previous Month Date | 1,784,073,600 |
| Shares Short Prior Month | 4,406,557 |
| Short Name | Ziff Davis, Inc. |
| Short Percent Of Float | 0.2075 |
| Short Ratio | 7.11 |
| Source Interval | 15 |
| State | NY |
| Symbol | ZD |
| Target High Price | 75.0 |
| Target Low Price | 59.0 |
| Target Mean Price | 64.4 |
| Target Median Price | 64.0 |
| Total Cash | 1,606,112,000 |
| Total Cash Per Share | 46.843 |
| Total Debt | 894,540,032 |
| Total Revenue | 1,438,028,032 |
| Tradeable | 0 |
| Trailing Annual Dividend Rate | 0.0 |
| Trailing Annual Dividend Yield | 0.0 |
| Trailing Eps | -0.85 |
| Trailing Peg Ratio | None |
| Triggerable | 1 |
| Two Hundred Day Average | 42.3237 |
| Two Hundred Day Average Change | 13.4963 |
| Two Hundred Day Average Change Percent | 0.3188828 |
| Type Disp | Equity |
| Volume | 285,509 |
| Website | https://www.ziffdavis.com |
| Zip | 10,010 |