Ziff Davis, Inc. (ZD) Earnings Call Transcripts
Ziff Davis, Inc.'s Latest Earnings Call - May 18, 2026
In Q1 2026, Ziff Davis, Inc. reported revenues of $400 million, reflecting a slight decline compared to the previous year, while adjusted EBITDA was $100 million. The company announced a strategic review aimed at unlocking shareholder value, particularly following the recent $1.2 billion sale of its connectivity business. Management signaled a cautious optimism for the second half of the year, expecting revenue growth to improve and margins to stabilize as they navigate challenges in their tech and shopping segments.
Reported metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $400M (miss) |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $100M (miss) |
| Connectivity Sale Proceeds | $1.2B (positive) |
| Non-Advertising Revenue | 40% (positive) |
| Expected Revenue Growth | Improvement expected in H2 2026 (positive) |
| Operating Margin | null (null) |
Guidance from management
Management did not provide formal guidance but indicated expectations for improved revenue growth and margins in the second half of 2026, citing a more favorable outlook compared to the first half.
What management said
I will start and then -- look, I think that in 1 to 2 years, I think people will start to appreciate what's inside of the because either that's happened or we continue to do things that make people realize that they've underestimated the value. And then the second thing is what shouldn't be lost here is it's not only about selling. It's about the skill that this company really does have and has shown over the last ...
What analysts pressed on
Analysts expressed concerns about the ongoing challenges in the tech and shopping segments, particularly related to Google's algorithm changes. They are also cautious about the overall market sentiment towards digital media and online publishing.
Main topics on the call
- Strategic Review and Value Unlocking — Management initiated a strategic review due to the company's stock price pressure, stating, "The public markets haven't been valuing the portfolio in the way we would like to see." They are exploring monetization options...
- Connectivity Business Sale — The recent sale of the connectivity segment for $1.2 billion was highlighted as a significant unlock for the company. Management noted that this transaction generated $685 million of adjusted EBITDA during their ownershi...
- Revenue and Margin Outlook — Management expressed confidence in improved revenue growth and margins in the second half of 2026, stating, "We expect overall to be better laying on top of that, the trends that we see in our subscription businesses."
- Challenges in Tech and Shopping Segments — The tech and shopping segments faced significant challenges due to changes in Google's algorithm affecting traffic. Vivek Shah remarked, "The changes in Google and the Google algorithm have affected us the most," indicat...
Read the full Ziff Davis, Inc. transcript (May 18, 2026) → Summary generated from the call transcript; every figure above is stated by management on the record.
About Ziff Davis, Inc.
Ziff Davis, Inc. (ZD) is a publicly listed company in the Interactive Media and Services industry, within the Communication Services sector. It trades on NasdaqGS and is based in US. EarningsCalls.dev maintains a free, full-text archive of its earnings call transcripts — 56 calls on record spanning January 7, 2020 to August 7, 2026. Every transcript is split into speaker-by-speaker segments with headline metrics, free to read or available through our REST API.
Earnings Call History
EarningsCalls.dev has 56 Ziff Davis, Inc. earnings call transcripts on record, spanning January 7, 2020 to August 7, 2026. Based on this history, Ziff Davis, Inc. reports quarterly. The most recent call on file is dated August 7, 2026. The full list is below — each row opens the complete, free-to-read transcript.
- Ticker
- ZD
- Exchange
- NasdaqGS
- Country
- US
- Sector
- Communication Services
- Industry
- Interactive Media and Services
- Calls on record
- 56
- First call
- January 7, 2020
- Most recent
- August 7, 2026
- Reporting cadence
- quarterly