Ziff Davis trades above its analyst price target, generates negative free cash flow relative to net income, and has missed earnings estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters — the combination of poor quality metrics and exhausted upside makes the current risk-reward unattractive.
Thesis pillars
- Negative Free Cash Flow Quality→Stable
- Earnings Miss Streak↓Deteriorating
- High Short Interest Bearish Positioning→Stable
- +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning
Pillars as of Jul 3, 2026, based on the 10-K filed Feb 24, 2026
Ziff Davis, Inc. (ZD) Stock Analysis
Inst Constrain edge
Communication Services · Advertising Agencies
Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $55.37 — A.R:R 0.0:1 is below the 1.5:1 minimum. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Sector modifier (Communication Services): -0.8.
Ziff Davis operates five digital media and internet segments—Technology & Shopping, Gaming & Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Connectivity (Ookla/Speedtest), and Cybersecurity & Martech (VIPRE Security Group, MOZ Group)—with brands including CNET, PCMag, IGN, RetailMeNot and... Read more
Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $55.37 — A.R:R 0.0:1 is below the 1.5:1 minimum. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Sector modifier (Communication Services): -0.8. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Score 4.9/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 4/7 gates (clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and favorable risk/reward ratio and earnings proximity 7d<=7d. Suitability: aggressive.
About Ziff Davis, Inc.
About Ziff Davis, Inc.
Ziff Davis's digital media portfolio—anchored by IGN Entertainment with more than 440 million monthly users across 15 digital properties in over 110 countries and 96 million social media fans—covers technology, gaming, health and wellness, connectivity and cybersecurity through five reportable segments. Revenue mixes short-term advertising and performance marketing in Digital Media with subscription and licensing in Connectivity and Cybersecurity & Martech. The company deployed approximately $3.3 billion across nearly 100 acquisitions between 2012 and 2025.
Ziff Davis's Digital Media segments earn revenue primarily from online display and video advertising and performance marketing sold through direct advertiser relationships and agencies under short-term contracts typically no longer than one year. RetailMeNot, VoucherCodes and BlackFriday.com drive affiliate commission revenue by connecting retail brands with consumer shopping audiences. The Connectivity segment, branded as Ookla, sells subscription analytics to internet service providers, mobile carriers, enterprise Wi-Fi integrators and regulatory bodies under Speedtest, Ekahau, Downdetector and RootMetrics. The Cybersecurity & Martech segment includes VIPRE Security Group (endpoint and email security, VPN subscriptions) and MOZ Group (email marketing and SEO subscriptions) serving primarily small and mid-sized businesses. In Digital Media, competitors include IAC, Penske Media, Red Ventures and ad sellers Alphabet and Meta; in cybersecurity, the company competes against CrowdStrike, Proofpoint and Gen Digital.
Show full overview
Ziff Davis filed a copyright lawsuit against OpenAI on April 24, 2025, alleging infringement of its brands' content in AI training and output without authorization, compensation or attribution—an outcome-uncertain litigation that the 10-K discloses carries no assurance of success. Separately, the EU AI Act began applying on February 2, 2025, with remaining requirements effective on a staggered basis through August 2027; non-compliance could expose the company to penalties of up to 7% of worldwide annual turnover or 35 million euros, whichever is higher. California's Delete Act becomes enforceable in August 2026. These regulatory and litigation pressures converge on the core digital audience data that Ziff Davis's advertising revenue depends upon.
See also: Communication Services · Advertising Agencies
From Ziff Davis, Inc.'s most recent 10-K filing, extracted June 16, 2026.
Recent developments
updated 2026-10-29Recent Developments — Ziff Davis, Inc.
Latest news
- NEWS Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Purchases 37,108 Shares of Ziff Davis, Inc. $ZD - MarketBeat — MarketBeat neutral
- NEWS What To Expect From Ziff Davis’s (ZD) Q1 Earnings - StockStory — StockStory neutral
- NEWS What To Expect From Ziff Davis’s (ZD) Q1 Earnings - TradingView — TradingView neutral
- NEWS Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF's Ziff Davis Inc(ZD) Holding History - GuruFocus — GuruFocus neutral
- NEWS Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) Shares Gap Up - What's Next? - MarketBeat — MarketBeat positive
Generated 2026-10-29T11:14:36Z.
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. How we score · Editorial policy
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Rating Breakdown
4 floor-breakers
Revenue shrinking — -2.7% YoY. Growth thesis broken unless recovery story develops.static
Momentum 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
No near-term catalyst priced in. Thesis progression will come from fundamentals grinding, not event reaction.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $55.37 — A.R:R 0.0:1 is below the 1.5:1 minimum. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Sector modifier (Communication Services): -0.8. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Prior stop was $52.51. Score 4.9/10, moderate confidence.
Analyst target: $55.39. Prior stop was $52.51. Stop-loss: $52.51.
Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Sector modifier (Communication Services): -0.8; Earnings in 7 days (event risk).
Ziff Davis, Inc. trades at a P/E of N/A (forward 9.3). TrendMatrix value score: 7.6/10. Verdict: Sell.
14 analysts cover ZD with a consensus score of 3.9/5. Average price target: $64.
What does Ziff Davis, Inc. do?Ziff Davis operates five digital media and internet segments—Technology & Shopping, Gaming & Entertainment, Health &...
Ziff Davis operates five digital media and internet segments—Technology & Shopping, Gaming & Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Connectivity (Ookla/Speedtest), and Cybersecurity & Martech (VIPRE Security Group, MOZ Group)—with brands including CNET, PCMag, IGN, RetailMeNot and Everyday Health. Revenue comes from advertising in Digital Media and subscriptions in Connectivity and Cybersecurity & Martech. The company deployed approximately $3.3 billion across nearly 100 acquisitions from 2012 through 2025.