Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ:NXST) Reaches New 52-Week Low Following Insider Selling

Key Points

• Nexstar Media Group hit a new 52-week low, falling to as low as $164.74, after the stock weakened on heavy trading volume.
• Several executives, including Lee Ann Gliha, Andrew Alford, and Sean Compton, sold shares in transactions tied to tax withholding on vested equity awards, adding to recent insider-selling pressure on the stock.
• Despite the slump, Wall Street analysts still lean bullish on NXST, with a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of about $259.67.

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NXST - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The company traded as low as $164.74 and last traded at $164.2350, with a volume of 303987 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $172.11.

Specifically, EVP Lee Ann Gliha sold 373 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.81, for a total value of $63,712.13. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,075 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,429,010.75. This represents a 1.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Andrew Alford sold 746 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.81, for a total transaction of $127,424.26. Following the sale, the insider owned 14,549 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,485,114.69. This trade represents a 4.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In other Nexstar Media Group news, insider Sean Compton sold 840 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.81, for a total transaction of $143,480.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 14,430 shares in the company, valued at $2,464,788.30. This represents a 5.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NXST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of Nexstar Media Group from $270.00 to $255.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Nexstar Media Group from $290.00 to $253.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Benchmark reduced their target price on shares of Nexstar Media Group from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $290.00 target price on shares of Nexstar Media Group in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Nexstar Media Group from $250.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Nexstar Media Group presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $259.67.

Nexstar Media Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Nexstar Media Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders approved all proposals at Nexstar’s 2026 annual meeting, including board elections, executive pay, auditor ratification, and the long-term incentive plan. That removes a governance overhang and suggests investor support for management. Nexstar Media Group Shareholders Approve All Proposals at 2026 Annual Shareholder Meeting
• Positive Sentiment: Nexstar’s Locked On Podcast Network said it is on track to reach 1 billion listens, views, and social engagements by the end of 2026, highlighting strong audience growth in digital media. Locked On Podcast Network Approaches One Billion Listens, Views and Social Engagements
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also disclosed several insider sales by executives including Lindsey Knapp, Lee Ann Gliha, Andrew Alford, Sean Compton, Dana Zimmer, Brett Jenkins, Blake Russell, and Gary Weitman. Nexstar said the trades were made to cover tax withholding tied to vesting equity awards, which makes them routine, but the repeated selling can still weigh on sentiment. Insider trading alert
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary remains mixed: one Seeking Alpha piece argued investors should hold NXST until the merger is finalized, while another said Nexstar’s legal battles are already priced in. Seeking Alpha article Seeking Alpha article
• Negative Sentiment: The bigger market concern is the pattern of insider selling: Nexstar insiders have sold shares repeatedly over the past six months with no reported open-market purchases, which can pressure investor confidence even if the sales are compensation-related. Insider buying and selling alert

Nexstar Media Group Stock Down 4.6%

The company has a market cap of $5.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.53. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $190.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $207.01.

Nexstar Media Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.5%. Nexstar Media Group's payout ratio is presently 159.66%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nexstar Media Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dorsal Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Nexstar Media Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $74,152,000. QVT Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Nexstar Media Group by 200.0% during the fourth quarter. QVT Financial LP now owns 155,281 shares of the company's stock worth $31,530,000 after purchasing an additional 310,562 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Nexstar Media Group by 118.1% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 543,612 shares of the company's stock worth $93,795,000 after purchasing an additional 294,308 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Nexstar Media Group by 157.2% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 374,027 shares of the company's stock worth $73,960,000 after purchasing an additional 228,603 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Nexstar Media Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,474,000. 95.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Nexstar Media Group

Nexstar Media Group, Inc is a diversified American media company engaged primarily in the ownership, operation and strategic affiliation of local television stations, digital platforms and cable networks. The company provides a range of broadcast content, including local news, sports coverage, entertainment programming and syndicated shows, reaching audiences in more than 100 television markets across the United States.

Founded in 1996 by entrepreneur Perry Sook and headquartered in Irving, Texas, Nexstar has built its presence through organic growth and a series of high-profile acquisitions.

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