Ziff Davis (ZD)
NASDAQCommunication ServicesAdvertising AgenciesSnapshot 2026-10-30
$54.79-2.07%
Close 2026-10-30 · 1-day change
NASDAQCommunication ServicesAdvertising AgenciesSnapshot 2026-10-30
Research Workspace
Put ZD beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Communication Services is in steady. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar under pressure — EPS near $6.96 in FY25: Comparison needs review.
View ThesisRevenue is contracting — down about 1% over the past year.
View GrowthManagement screens strong on capital allocation, the balance sheet.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 1% on a typical day and fell roughly 34% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskZD's case rests on a relatively high earnings yield, though revenue is shrinking. Revenue fell year over year in both reported quarters; the latest listed quarter lacks a beat-or-miss verdict. ZD trades at 9.4× P/E versus a 16.7× peer median; expectations look modest versus our view. The multiple gap may narrow if earnings pressure continues. Our model puts the next-quarter miss probability near 50%. The FY25 EPS comparison needs review, so it is not a confirmed pillar break. Peer multiples imply a price about 41% above where it trades; the thesis is on watch. This read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. ZD is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 6 analysts currently covering ZD (as of Oct 2026).
Based on 3 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for ZD in the last 4 months.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZD Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 11 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-10-30. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Advertising — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put ZD next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Major deal aligns with growth objectives.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $54.79
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $54.79.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Top 10% on quality vs scored peers
A second lens on the 12-month fair value: for companies that score high on measured quality (profitability, balance-sheet safety, earnings stability), this read trusts more of today's profit margins instead of averaging them toward their multi-year history the way the headline number does. Shown alongside the fair value above, not in place of it. A diagnostic, not a price target or a buy/sell signal.
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Threatens: Divestiture of Connectivity business
Connectivity growth deferral impacts divestiture plans.
Sales below estimates indicate operational challenges.
Advances: Divestiture of Connectivity business
Strategic review aligns with divestiture objectives.
Raised guidance is a positive catalyst.
Reaffirmation of guidance supports operational efficiency.
Revenue jump indicates operational efficiency.
Earnings beat indicates operational strength.