Nexstar Media GroupNXST +3.85%86 Interest Coverage is 2.21 as of Mar. 2026, which is 20% below its 10-year median of 2.76. GuruFocus rates NXST with a GF Score™ of 86/100 and a GF Value™ of $220.11 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 609 Media - Diversified companies, Nexstar Media Group ranks worse than 79.8% on this metric.
Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's
Operating Income
by its Interest Expense. Nexstar Media Group's
Operating Income
for the
three
months ended in Mar. 2026 was $265 Mil. Nexstar Media Group's Interest Expense for the
three
months ended in Mar. 2026 was $-120 Mil.
Nexstar Media Group's interest coverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 2.21.
The higher the ratio, the stronger the company's financial strength is.
Warning Sign:
Ben Graham prefers companies' interest coverage to be at least 5. Nexstar Media Group Inc interest coverage is 2.26, which is low.
The historical rank and industry rank for Nexstar Media Group's Interest Coverage or its related term are showing as below:
NXST'
s Interest Coverage Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.66 Med: 2.76 Max: 4.29
Current: 2.26
NXST's Interest Coverage is ranked worse than 79.8% of 609
companies
in the Media - Diversified industry
Industry Median: 11.88
vs NXST: 2.26
Nexstar Media Group (NAS:NXST) Interest Coverage Explanation
Ben Graham requires that a company has a minimum interest coverage of 5 with the companies he invested. If the interest coverage is less than 2, the company is burdened by debt. Any business slow or recession may drag the company into a situation where it cannot pay the interest on its debt.
Interest Coverage is an important factor when GuruFocus ranks a company's overage Financial Strength .
Nexstar Media Group Interest Coverage Related Terms
Nexstar Media Group Interest Coverage Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Nexstar Media Group's Interest Coverage can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Note: For Interest Coverage, "No debt" indicates no long-term debt. An indication of "No Debt" does not necessarily mean that the company has no long-term debt obligations; it could be due to missing data in the quarterly or annual report. Use caution when interpreting this information.
NXST vs NMAX, SBGI, IHRT: Interest Coverage Comparison
For the Broadcasting subindustry, Nexstar Media Group's Interest Coverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Interest Coverage data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Nexstar Media Group Interest Coverage vs Media - Diversified Industry
For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Nexstar Media Group's Interest Coverage distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Nexstar Media Group's Interest Coverage falls into.
Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income (EBIT) by its Interest Expense:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Nexstar Media Group (NXST) has a Interest Coverage of 2.21 as of Mar. 2026. Interest Coverage measures a company's capability to pay interest expenses on its debt. View historical data on Nexstar Media Group and its competitors. This is 20% below median its historical median of 2.76. Over the past decade, Nexstar Media Group's Interest Coverage has ranged from 1.66 to 4.29. According to the industry distribution chart, Nexstar Media Group ranks #486 out of 609 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 79.8%.
Is Nexstar Media Group's Interest Coverage too high?
Nexstar Media Group's current Interest Coverage of 2.21 is 20% below median its 10-year median of 2.76. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.66 to a high of 4.29. The Media - Diversified industry median Interest Coverage is 11.88. Nexstar Media Group's value of 2.21 is 81.4% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Nexstar Media Group ranks #486 out of 609 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Nexstar Media Group has a GF Score™ of 86/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Nexstar Media Group's Interest Coverage compare to NMAX and SBGI?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Nexstar Media Group ranks #486 out of 609 companies for Interest Coverage. This places Nexstar Media Group in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Interest Coverage is 11.88. Nexstar Media Group's value of 2.21 is 81.4% below this benchmark. Historically, Nexstar Media Group's own Interest Coverage has ranged from 1.66 to 4.29 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.76 vs. the industry median of 11.88, Nexstar Media Group has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Interest Coverage for a Media - Diversified company?
The median Interest Coverage among Media - Diversified companies is 11.88, based on 609 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Interest Coverage significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Interest Coverage should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Nexstar Media Group's current Interest Coverage of 2.21 is 81.4% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Interest Coverage mean?
A high Interest Coverage can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Interest Coverage measures a company's capability to pay interest expenses on its debt. View historical data on Nexstar Media Group and its competitors. For the Media - Diversified industry, the median Interest Coverage is 11.88 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Nexstar Media Group's current Interest Coverage is 2.21, which is 20% below median its own 10-year median of 2.76. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Nexstar Media Group stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Nexstar Media Group (NXST) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $220.11, compared to a current price of $160.57 — trading 27.1% below its estimated fair value. The current Interest Coverage is 2.21, which is 20% below median its 10-year median of 2.76 and 81.4% below the Media - Diversified industry median of 11.88. Nexstar Media Group's overall GF Score™ is 86/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Interest Coverage calculated?
Interest Coverage is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Nexstar Media Group (NXST), the current Interest Coverage is 2.21 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Nexstar Media Group (NXST) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Nexstar Media Group stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $160.57 is trading 27.1% below its estimated GF Value™ of $220.11.
GuruFocus considers Nexstar Media Group to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for NXST:
Interest Coverage: 2.21 (20% below median its 10-year median of 2.76)
GF Value™: $220.11 vs. price of $160.57 (27.1% below fair value)
Industry Position: 81.4% below the Media - Diversified median (#486 of 609)
No single metric tells the full story. See the NXST stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Nexstar is the largest television station owner-operator in the United States with over 200 stations in 116 markets, reaching 220 million people. Of its 200 stations, 155 are affiliated with the four national broadcast networks: CBS, Fox, NBC, and ABC. Assuming its merger with Tegna is affirmed Nexstar's station total would exceed 259 and reach 80% of the US population. Nexstar also owns NewsNation (formerly WGN), a cable news network, 75% of the fifth national broadcaster, the CW, and a 31% stake in Food Network and Cooking Channel.
86GF Score
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