Stock fact sheet · data as of
Ziff Davis, Inc. (ZD): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol ZD · Communication Services · Advertising Agencies · United States · Value
Is ZD undervalued?
At 56.75 (close of 5 Nov 2026), ZD trades 80% below the GLS average fair value of 280.86. That average comes from 8 models run on the latest filings, and 8 of them land above the current price. Margins of safety over 30% are the exception rather than the rule across the ~7,400 stocks we value each night, so the number earns Ziff Davis, Inc. the full Value points in the Wheel Score - and a closer look at what the market is pricing in.
The 8 models disagree widely: GLS Growth gives 121.92 while Graham Growth gives 867.99. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
Ranked against every other company we cover, ZD is clearly cheaper than it is fast-growing, so the nightly engine files it under Value (value score 88, growth score 36, out of 100).
Nine valuation models for ZD
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 133.03 | +134% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 156.45 | +176% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 867.99 | +1430% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 368.69 | +550% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 121.92 | +115% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 210.66 | +271% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 191.60 | +238% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | 196.53 | +246% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -15.73 | -128% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 61.50 | +8% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
On financial health ZD scores 7/9 (Piotroski): most of the nine tests - positive earnings and cash flow, falling debt, rising margins and turnover - are passed, which is the kind of balance sheet a wheel trader is happy to be assigned. The GLS Moat score is 5.9 out of 10: a record that is solid on some of the four parts the score weighs (returns on capital, pricing power, lasting growth, balance sheet) and weaker on others.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 1.8%, ROE 2.7%, ROA 1.3% - with debt at 0.51 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 16.3%.
Ziff Davis, Inc. pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Health and Wellness 33%, Technology and Shopping 27%, Cybersecurity and Martech 24% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 5/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 7 / 9 | ROIC | 1.8% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 5.9 / 10 | ROE | 2.7% |
| Debt / equity | 0.51 | ROA | 1.3% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 16.3% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 5 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 78: Good
ZD scores 78 out of 100 on the Wheel Score (Good band, 70-84): it passes all 9 Wheel Trade Filters. How it ranks: value strong, premium strong, moat fair, health good, red flags weak, option trading weak, stability fair; Red Flags (weak) holds it back.
Implied volatility is 52% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% sweet spot the Wheel Score rewards most: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is 3,039 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 712k shares a day on a market cap of $1.9B, with a beta of 1.09; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Passes | Listed options with 1,000+ contracts of open interest and 100+ traded a day |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 80% below fair value | |
| Premium | Strong | implied volatility 52% | |
| Moat | Fair | moat 5.9/10 | |
| Health | Good | Piotroski 7/9 | |
| Red Flags | Weak | Red Flags score 65/100 | |
| Option trading | Weak | 1,280 contracts a day, 3,039 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 1.09, $1.9B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
Ziff Davis, Inc. reports earnings on 5 Nov 2026 (after the close) - inside the 14-day window the Sunday Scan avoids, because a put sold now would carry the report's gap risk.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Advertising Agencies
The 12 companies below are the closest to Ziff Davis, Inc. by market cap within the Advertising Agencies industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LFTO Liftoff Mobile, Inc. Common Stock | 15.69 | 14.37 | -9% | 20Weak | $2.7B |
| STGW Stagwell Inc. | 11.00 | 6.37 | -73% | 33Weak | $2.7B |
| PTRN Pattern Group Inc. Series A Common Stock | 17.68 | 21.44 | +18% | 37Weak | $2.8B |
| MGNI Magnite, Inc. | 22.79 | 23.85 | +4% | 31Weak | $3.3B |
| QNST QuinStreet, Inc. | 19.26 | 46.58 | +59% | 81Good | $1.1B |
| CRTO Criteo S.A. | 15.64 | 98.30 | +84% | 44Weak | $766M |
| WPP WPP plc | 28.40 | 99.21 | +71% | 47Weak | $6.1B |
| TTD The Trade Desk, Inc. | 13.23 | 35.20 | +62% | 51Fair | $6.3B |
| ADV Advantage Solutions Inc. | 39.67 | 30.53 | -30% | 11Weak | $527M |
| NEXN Nexxen International Ltd. | 9.12 | 11.13 | +18% | 42Weak | $519M |
| PERI Perion Network Ltd. | 11.45 | 17.33 | +34% | 29Weak | $450M |
| BOC Boston Omaha Corporation | 14.02 | - | - | 30Weak | $422M |
⚖ Compare ZD with 7 of them All Communication Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about ZD
Is ZD undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 56.75 the stock is 80% below the average fair value of 280.86 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of ZD and what does it mean?
ZD scores 78 out of 100 (Good). The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for ZD?
280.86 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 8 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Ziff Davis, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 5 Nov 2026 (after the close), 0 days from the data date of 5 Nov 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does ZD have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 54 listed contracts with 3,039 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 52% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.