WideOpenWest Shares Jump 49% on $15B Takeover Deal Surpassing 1874% Volume Surge to Rank 460th in Active Stocks

WideOpenWest (WOW) surged 49.11% on August 12, 2025, with a trading volume of $230 million—surpassing yesterday’s total by 1874.21% and ranking 460th among active stocks. The rally followed a definitive agreement to be acquired by DigitalBridge Group and Crestview Partners for $1.5 billion, offering shareholders $5.20 per share—a 63% premium over the August 8 closing price. The all-cash deal, approved by WOW’s board, is expected to close by late 2025 or early 2026, delisting the company from public exchanges.

Despite the acquisition optimism, the company reported a 9.2% revenue decline to $144.2 million in Q2, driven by a 40.6% drop in traditional video subscribers and a net loss of 3,900 HSD users. However, adjusted EBITDA rose to $70.3 million, with a 48.8% margin, and ARPU hit a record $75.30, reflecting demand for higher-speed services. The company holds $31.8 million in cash but faces a $1.05 billion debt burden, maintaining a leverage ratio of 3.5x.

CEO Teresa Elder emphasized continued focus on operational efficiency and capital expenditure strategies ahead of the acquisition. The company reported $47.9 million in capital spending and $22.4 million in unlevered adjusted free cash flow for the quarter. Expansion plans, including greenfield builds and Edge-outs, remain on track, with 15,500 new homes added in Q2.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day generated a $2,550 profit from 2022 to the present. However, the approach faced a maximum drawdown of -15.2% on October 27, 2022, highlighting its volatility despite overall gains.