Townsquare Media (NYSE:TSQ) Issues Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.04 EPS

Townsquare Media (NYSE:TSQ) released its earnings results on Monday. The company reported ($0.16) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.12) by ($0.04), FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $96.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $96.46 million. Townsquare Media had a negative net margin of 2.58% and a negative return on equity of 13.74%.

Here are the key takeaways from Townsquare Media’s conference call:

• Company is now a digital-first business with digital generating an all-time high of 59% of net revenue and 63% of segment profit in Q1, and management reaffirmed full-year revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance while citing stronger digital pacing into Q2 and H2 2026.
• Programmatic advertising is the primary growth engine—Q1 programmatic revenue rose ~21% YoY, Q2 is pacing >20% YoY, the media-partnership channel is scaling (13 partners, on track to ~double 2025 media-partnership revenue) and management targets ~$50M revenue (at ~20% margin) from this division within four years.
• Townsquare Interactive revenue declined ~8% YoY in Q1 but improved operating leverage drove segment margins to 33.7%; management is rebuilding the sales force and expects sequential revenue improvement with potential month-over-month growth by Q3.
• Broadcast remains a drag with Q1 broadcast revenue down ~6.6% (‑6.9% ex-political) and management acknowledging radio is not a growth driver despite claiming share gains and plans to manage expenses to protect margins.
• Q1 net revenue was $96.8M and adjusted EBITDA $16.4M (both within guidance), the board approved a $0.20 quarterly dividend, but the balance sheet shows $457M of debt (net leverage ~5.27x) and only $2M cash, which management plans to address via free cash flow and targeted debt repayments.

Townsquare Media Price Performance

NYSE TSQ traded up $0.75 during trading on Monday, hitting $7.30. 127,428 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 164,450. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $6.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.97. Townsquare Media has a 12-month low of $4.30 and a 12-month high of $9.31. The firm has a market cap of $124.85 million, a P/E ratio of -10.28, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.18.

Townsquare Media Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 27th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 11.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 27th. Townsquare Media’s dividend payout ratio is presently -112.68%.

Insider Transactions at Townsquare Media

In other Townsquare Media news, EVP Scott Schatz sold 28,980 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.08, for a total transaction of $147,218.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 123,977 shares in the company, valued at $629,803.16. This represents a 18.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 30.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Townsquare Media

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Beck Mack & Oliver LLC boosted its position in Townsquare Media by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Beck Mack & Oliver LLC now owns 1,073,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,518,000 after buying an additional 85,000 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Townsquare Media by 52.7% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 271,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,212,000 after purchasing an additional 93,753 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Townsquare Media by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 153,075 shares of the company’s stock worth $787,000 after purchasing an additional 8,177 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Townsquare Media by 16.2% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 95,972 shares of the company’s stock worth $493,000 after purchasing an additional 13,373 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Townsquare Media by 63.1% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 82,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $649,000 after purchasing an additional 31,773 shares during the period. 71.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Barrington Research reduced their target price on Townsquare Media from $12.00 to $10.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings cut Townsquare Media from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $10.00.

Townsquare Media Company Profile

Townsquare Media, Inc (NYSE: TSQ) is a diversified media and entertainment company that operates primarily in small and mid-sized markets across the United States. The company owns and manages over 300 local radio stations that deliver music, news, sports and community programming to listeners. In addition to its core broadcasting business, Townsquare Media provides digital marketing solutions and advertising services through its proprietary platforms and specialized agencies, helping local businesses connect with consumers via targeted online campaigns.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Purchase, New York, Townsquare Media has grown its footprint through strategic acquisitions and the development of a broad digital portfolio.