TV stations hang onto their value

Article Excerpt

TEGNA INC. $15 (New York symbol TGNA; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 215.8 million; Market cap: $3.2 billion; Dividend yield: 1.8%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.tegna.com) owns 49 TV and two radio stations in 41 markets. It also offers online advertising and marketing services. The company recently received a merger proposal from private equity firm Apollo Global Management Inc. (New York symbol APO). Apollo is in the process of buying a majority stake in Cox Media Group. That privately held firm owns 13 TV stations, as well as newspapers in Ohio and radio stations. Meantime, hedge fund Standard General LP has announced that it now owns 9.2% of Tegna’s shares. The presence of both activists helps draw investor attention to Tegna’s high-quality assets, particularly its stations. They’ll benefit from the expected rise in election-related advertising and the 2020 Olympics. The possibility of a takeover just adds to the company’s appeal. Tegna is a buy. buy…