The New York Times Company research snapshot
NYT AI stock analysis as of the August 3, 2026 data cutoff reads The New York Times Company as a high-quality digital subscription media compounder trading at a premium valuation after a summer pullback. The stock closed at $74.89 on July 31, 2026, down about 1.2% on the day but still up roughly 45% over the trailing 52 weeks, with a market capitalization near $12.12 billion, re-verified during this refresh as $74.89 times 161.86 million shares outstanding with 0.01% deviation across the StockAnalysis.com quote, history, and statistics pages. The most recent reported quarter was Q1 2026, which delivered revenue of $712.2 million, up 12.0% year over year, with total subscribers of 13.08 million including 12.52 million digital-only, and the company reports a net cash position near $1.1 billion with no outstanding debt as of March 31, 2026. The next earnings report, Q2 2026, is scheduled for August 5, 2026 before market open, so this page uses the Q1 2026 figures as the latest reported results. The stock spent early July near $75, dipped to about $70 on July 23, rebounded to about $77.70 on July 29, and then cooled to the $74.89 close on July 31, sitting above its 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day moving averages but below its 100-day moving average near $77.14 and the 52-week high of $87.10. Offsetting the quality is a premium valuation near 32.14x trailing earnings and 25.64x forward earnings, a short interest near 8.5% of shares outstanding, legal pressure that includes the Trump administration defamation lawsuit and the OpenAI copyright trial, and analyst targets that range from a low of $66 to a high of $95 with a consensus near $83.44. AI confidence in the descriptive facts is high because the key figures were re-fetched and cross-validated on August 3, 2026 across StockAnalysis.com, Fiscal.ai financials, Barchart, and the Q1 2026 earnings release. This page is informational research only and is not investment advice.
Current price
$74.89
Market cap
$12.12 billion
AI score
68 / 100
Rating
Quality subscription media compounder, premium valuation
Trend status
Recovering from a summer pullback, still below the 100-day average and the 52-week high
Data cutoff (updated monthly)
August 4, 2026
Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.
| Dimension | Conclusion | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Business quality | Strong subscription-first media franchise with news, Games, Cooking, The Athletic, and Wirecutter supporting recurring digital revenue, 13.08 million total subscribers as of March 31, 2026, and a net cash balance sheet. | High |
| Moat | Brand trust and multiproduct habit are durable, but platform distribution risk, free news alternatives, and unresolved AI content economics still limit the width of the moat. | Medium-high |
| Management | Leadership continues to execute digital growth, buybacks, and dividend increases, while dual-class control concentrates voting power with the Sulzberger family. | Medium-high |
| Financial trend | FY2025 revenue reached $2.825 billion with net income of $343.98 million. Q1 2026 revenue rose 12.0% to $712.2 million with TTM revenue near $2.9 billion, TTM EPS of $2.33, and TTM free cash flow near $542 million. | High |
| Valuation | At $74.89, NYT trades near 32.14x TTM EPS of $2.33, about 25.64x forward earnings, and near 22.4x trailing free cash flow, a premium multiple for media. | Medium |
| Technical trend | NYT sits between a 52-week low of $51.03 and a 52-week high of $87.10, above its 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day moving averages but below its 100-day average near $77.14 after a July pullback to about $70 and rebound to $74.89. | Medium |
| Risk level | Risks include government and defamation litigation, AI content disruption, advertising cycles, print decline, dual-class governance, elevated short interest near 8.5% of shares, and multiple compression if growth cools. | Medium-high |
| AI confidence | Public data is deep enough for descriptive analysis and cross-checked math, but less certain for future returns because valuation is sensitive to subscriber growth, ad demand, and AI licensing outcomes. | High data confidence |
| Investment certainty | The franchise is understandable and cash generative with a net cash balance sheet, but a clear margin of safety is not obvious at current prices without continued digital compounding. | Medium |
NYT AI stock forecast
The NYT AI stock forecast uses scenario math, not a price promise. Using the July 31, 2026 close of $74.89, FY2026 consensus EPS of about $2.87, and a three-year framework tested with financial_rigor.py, the modeled range spans a bearish area near $35 to $42, a base area near $62 to $70, and a bullish area near $88 to $96 before dividends, using EPS growth of 2% to 15% and exit multiples of 15x to 26x. The outcome is highly sensitive to digital subscriber growth, ARPU, digital advertising, free cash flow conversion, and the multiple investors assign to quality media.
$88 to $96
More likely if digital-only subscriptions keep compounding past 12.5 million toward the company ambition of 15 million total subscribers, digital advertising stays strong, buybacks reduce share count, AI licensing resolves on favorable terms, and the market still awards a high-20s to low-30s earnings multiple.
$62 to $70
More likely if EPS grows at a mid-single-digit to high-single-digit rate and the multiple settles near the low-20s as print fades, growth normalizes after the recent acceleration, and legal and AI-related costs stay contained.
$35 to $42
More likely if subscriber net adds slow, advertising softens, AI platforms reduce traffic or content value, government or defamation litigation costs rise, or the market applies a mid-teens multiple to stagnant earnings.
NYT AI technical analysis
NYT AI technical analysis is mixed but recovering as of the August 3, 2026 data cutoff. The stock closed at $74.89 on July 31, 2026, above its 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day moving averages but below its 100-day moving average near $77.14 and the 52-week high of $87.10. After dipping to about $70 on July 23, the stock rebounded to about $77.70 on July 29 and then cooled to the $74.89 close, with RSI near 52 and a weak ADX near 13.6 indicating a consolidating rather than a strongly trending move.
| Level | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current price | $74.89 | StockAnalysis.com real-time quote at the July 31, 2026 close, down 1.24% on the day; market cap math uses 161.86 million shares outstanding. |
| 5-day moving average | $75.19 | Barchart reported the 5-day moving average near $75.19 on July 31, 2026, slightly above the close, signaling near-term momentum cooled after the July 29 rebound. |
| 20-day moving average | $74.30 | Barchart and StockAnalysis.com both placed the 20-day moving average near $74.30 on July 31, 2026, roughly at the current price, so this is the first level to watch. |
| Near support | $72.00 to $74.00 | The 20-day average near $74.30 and the early July trading band form the first support zone; a break below this area would weaken the recovery. |
| Deeper support | $68.50 to $70.20 | The July 23 low near $70.17 and the late June base around $68.50 to $70.00 form the next support cluster before the annual low. |
| 52-week low | $51.03 | StockAnalysis.com 52-week low. This is a risk reference, not a forecast target. |
| Near resistance | $76.00 to $77.70 | The 100-day moving average near $77.14 and the July 29 high near $77.69 form the immediate overhead; a close above this zone would confirm renewed momentum. |
| Next resistance | $82.00 to $87.10 | The analyst median target near $82 and the 52-week high of $87.10 represent the next upside zone, which is also where the stock stalled earlier in 2026. |
| Moving averages | 20-day $74.30, 50-day $73.87, 100-day $77.14, 200-day $72.48 | Barchart and StockAnalysis.com both reported the 20-day near $74.30, 50-day near $73.87, 100-day near $77.14, and 200-day near $72.48 on July 31, 2026. |
| Momentum | RSI near 52, ADX near 13.6 | Barchart reported 14-day RSI near 51.99, neutral rather than overbought or oversold, and 14-day ADX near 13.63, which signals a weak or consolidating trend rather than a strong directional move. |
| Volume | About 1.46 to 1.49 million average shares | StockAnalysis.com listed 20-day average volume near 1.46 million shares and Barchart near 1.49 million on July 31, 2026; the July 29 rebound day saw volume near 2.16 million. |
| Volatility | Elevated ahead of earnings | Barchart reported 14-day historical volatility near 38.4% and 9-day near 40.8%, so position sizing should account for larger swings around the August 5, 2026 report. |
| Invalidation | Close below $72.00 | A decisive close below the 20-day average near $74.30 and toward $72 would weaken the recovery setup; a close below the $70 zone would break the July base and turn the setup bearish. |
NYT AI trading strategy
The NYT AI trading strategy below is a research and risk-control framework, not personal advice. It combines the digital subscription compounder story with price confirmation, valuation discipline, and clear invalidation levels, and it should be refreshed after the August 5, 2026 earnings report.
Watch for NYT to reclaim and hold the $76 to $77.70 zone above the 100-day average with stronger volume, then compare the move with digital subscriber adds, ARPU, digital advertising growth, and buyback pace.
Define invalidation before entry. A failed breakout back below $76 or a close below $72 can be used as a rules-based signal that momentum did not confirm.
If NYT pulls back toward the $68.50 to $74.00 support cluster without a thesis break, compare the price with free cash flow, net cash, subscriber data, and the next earnings report before acting.
Avoid averaging down without a stop. A move below the $68.50 zone would require a fresh review of digital growth, advertising demand, legal risk, and multiple compression.
Track total and digital-only subscribers, digital ARPU, digital advertising, licensing income, free cash flow, share repurchases, the August 5, 2026 Q2 report, and developments in the OpenAI copyright case, government subpoenas, and the Trump defamation lawsuit.
Do not treat AI content licensing as guaranteed. Scenario ranges should be updated after earnings, traffic data, legal rulings, and any major content or platform agreements.
Investment research summary
Customers pay The New York Times for trusted independent journalism and premium lifestyle products such as Games, Cooking, The Athletic, and Wirecutter. The core economic engine is recurring digital subscriptions, supported by digital advertising, print products, affiliate referrals, and licensing.
The strongest advantages are brand trust, daily habit formation across multiproduct bundles, and scale in high-quality journalism. The weaker points are print economics, platform dependency for discovery, and competition from free or low-cost news and entertainment alternatives.
The thesis fails if AI platforms commoditize news without adequate payment, digital net adds stall, advertising softens, costs rise faster than revenue, government or defamation litigation creates real financial and reputational damage, or the premium multiple compresses while growth slows.
CEO Meredith Kopit Levien has continued the shift from a newspaper company to a digital subscription company. Capital allocation favors organic product investment, dividends, and Class A share repurchases, while dual-class ownership keeps long-term control concentrated with the Sulzberger family.
NYT sits in a long-term shift from print and platform-dependent advertising toward direct digital relationships. AI can create licensing revenue and efficiency, but it also raises content-scraping, traffic, and copyright risks that remain unresolved for the sector, including the ongoing OpenAI copyright trial.
At $74.89, the stock prices a durable digital compounder. Quality is high and the balance sheet is strong with a net cash position near $1.1 billion and no outstanding debt as of March 31, 2026, but the margin of safety is limited unless growth and free cash flow continue to compound.
Source-backed data
Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.
| Metric | Value | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYT price | $74.89 at the July 31, 2026 close | StockAnalysis.com real-time quote | August 3, 2026 |
| Market capitalization | $12.12 billion, computed as $74.89 x 161.86 million shares outstanding | StockAnalysis.com quote and share statistics | August 3, 2026 |
| 52-week range | $51.03 to $87.10 | StockAnalysis.com NYT quote and price history | August 3, 2026 |
| FY2025 revenue | $2.825 billion, up 9.24% year over year, cross-checked across StockAnalysis.com financials and Fiscal.ai with 0.00% deviation | StockAnalysis.com financials and Fiscal.ai | August 3, 2026 |
| FY2025 net income and EPS | Net income of $343.98 million and diluted EPS of $2.09 for FY2025 | StockAnalysis.com income statement and Fiscal.ai | August 3, 2026 |
| FY2025 free cash flow | $550.51 million versus $381.34 million in 2024 | StockAnalysis.com cash flow statement and Fiscal.ai | August 3, 2026 |
| Q1 2026 revenue and EPS | Revenue $712.2 million, up 12.0%; diluted EPS $0.54, cross-checked across StockAnalysis.com quarterly data and the Q1 2026 earnings release with 0.00% deviation | New York Times Company Q1 2026 earnings release and StockAnalysis.com | August 3, 2026 |
| Total subscribers | 13.08 million total and 12.52 million digital-only as of March 31, 2026, cross-checked across Fiscal.ai and the Q1 2026 earnings release | New York Times Company Q1 2026 earnings release and Fiscal.ai | August 3, 2026 |
| Digital-only ARPU | $9.77 average revenue per user for digital-only subscribers over TTM | Fiscal.ai via StockAnalysis.com business metrics | August 3, 2026 |
| Cash and net cash position | Cash and short-term investments of $594.52 million, long-term investments of $512.67 million, no outstanding debt, and a net cash position near $1.1 billion or $6.84 per share as of March 31, 2026 | StockAnalysis.com balance sheet and statistics | August 3, 2026 |
| TTM financials | TTM revenue near $2.9 billion, TTM net income of $382.35 million, TTM diluted EPS of $2.33, and TTM free cash flow of $542.17 million | StockAnalysis.com financials and statistics | August 3, 2026 |
| Valuation ratios | Trailing PE 32.14, forward PE 25.64, PS 4.22, PB 6.03, P/FCF 22.36, PEG 1.55, EV/EBITDA 19.73 | StockAnalysis.com statistics | August 3, 2026 |
| Dividend | Annual dividend of $0.92 per share, yield near 1.23%, ex-dividend date July 8, 2026 | StockAnalysis.com statistics and dividends | August 3, 2026 |
| Profitability | ROE 19.68%, ROIC 25.27%, operating margin 15.94%, profit margin 13.30% over TTM | StockAnalysis.com statistics | August 3, 2026 |
| Analyst consensus | Buy with an average price target of $83.44 across 10 analysts, low $66, high $95, median $82; targets last updated June 24, 2026 | StockAnalysis.com forecast and analyst ratings | August 3, 2026 |
| Analyst rating mix, July 2026 | 5 Strong Buy, 1 Buy, 4 Hold, 0 Sell out of 10 analysts | StockAnalysis.com forecast recommendation trends | August 3, 2026 |
| Recent analyst target updates | Bank of America $87 to $80 on June 24, J.P. Morgan $74 to $82 on May 29, Argus $84 to $88 on May 12, Deutsche Bank $75 to $95 on May 7, Guggenheim $63 to $70 on May 7 | StockAnalysis.com forecast latest forecasts | August 3, 2026 |
| Consensus estimates | FY2026 revenue estimate $3.10 billion with EPS $2.87; FY2027 revenue $3.32 billion with EPS $3.20; FY2026 net income estimate $437.41 million | StockAnalysis.com forecast financial forecast | August 3, 2026 |
| Short interest | 13.77 million shares short, 8.51% of shares outstanding, about 7.62 days to cover | StockAnalysis.com statistics short selling | August 3, 2026 |
| Next earnings date | Q2 2026 results scheduled for August 5, 2026 before market open | StockAnalysis.com quote and Business Wire announcement | August 3, 2026 |
| Technical snapshot | 5-day SMA near $75.19, 20-day SMA near $74.30, 50-day SMA near $73.87, 100-day SMA near $77.14, 200-day SMA near $72.48, 14-day RSI near 51.99, 14-day ADX near 13.63, 14-day historical volatility near 38.4% | Barchart and StockAnalysis.com technical snapshots | August 3, 2026 |
| Legal and AI developments | Trump administration defamation lawsuit moving to an amended complaint as of July 27, 2026; Justice Department agreed to withdraw subpoenas of journalists in late July 2026 with a new August 1, 2026 subpoena of a freelancer over a North Korea story; NYT-led group asked the court to sanction OpenAI on July 9, 2026 in the copyright case; NYT amended its lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft on June 25, 2026 | StockAnalysis.com news feed and cited press coverage | August 3, 2026 |
This NYT AI stock analysis is an informational research tool only and is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a promise of future returns. Forecast scenarios are based on available public data as of the stated cutoff date of August 3, 2026 and can be wrong if fundamentals, valuation multiples, technical trends, legal outcomes, or market conditions change after the report date.
Design trading strategies visually with 10+ indicators. Set entry/exit conditions and risk management, then generate Pine Script code with no coding required.
Filter and discover stocks based on market cap, dividend yield, P/E ratio, sector, and more. Screen thousands of stocks with real-time data.
Smart AI-driven stock selection with fundamental screening, analyst estimates, and key metrics. Filter by P/E, market cap, dividends, and more.
