New York Times Stock Rises Amid Fivespan Partners Acquisition, Analysts Predict Downside.

New York Times Co (NYT) stock rose 0.7% after activist investor Fivespan Partners acquired a significant stake. Analysts predict an average price target of $57.44, indicating potential downside. The consensus rating is "Outperform" with a GF Value suggesting further downside.

The stock of The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) rose by 0.7% following the announcement that activist investor Fivespan Partners has acquired a significant stake in the iconic newspaper company. The move comes amidst a broader trend of institutional investors increasing their holdings in the company.

Fivespan Partners, an activist investment firm founded last year by Dylan Haggart and Sarah Coyne, has built a position in The New York Times and is advocating for the company to leverage artificial intelligence to expand its subscription base. According to a letter to Fivespan investors reviewed by Bloomberg News, the firm believes that AI could "more than double the company’s long-term revenue and profit potential" by reaching broader audiences, converting more readers into paying subscribers, and creating new profit opportunities [1].

T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc., one of the major institutional investors in The New York Times, increased its stake in the company by 7.2% during the first quarter, owning approximately 10.4 million shares worth $515.49 million [2]. The company reported earnings of $0.58 per share for the quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, with revenue up 9.7% year-over-year at $685.90 million. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.18 per share, representing an annual yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 37.11%.

Analysts have set varying price targets for The New York Times stock. Evercore ISI raised their price objective from $60.00 to $67.00, giving the stock an "outperform" rating [2]. Guggenheim boosted their target price from $55.00 to $56.00, rating the stock "neutral." Morgan Stanley raised their target price from $54.00 to $59.00, giving the stock an "equal weight" rating. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of The New York Times. Barclays set a $52.00 price objective, rating the stock "equal weight." The consensus rating is "Moderate Buy" with a consensus target price of $60.33 [2].

Despite the positive news, some analysts suggest potential downside risks. The GF Value, a proprietary indicator used by some analysts, suggests further downside potential for the stock. The consensus rating of "Outperform" from various analysts indicates a cautious but bullish outlook.

In summary, The New York Times stock has shown resilience amidst institutional investor activity and positive earnings reports. However, the potential impact of AI-driven strategies and the varying analyst opinions warrant close monitoring for investors.

References:
[1] https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/new-york-times-stock-rises-after-activist-investor-fivespan-takes-stake-93CH-4210998
[2] https://www.marketbeat.com/instant-alerts/filing-t-rowe-price-investment-management-inc-has-51549-million-stock-holdings-in-the-new-york-times-company-nyt-2025-08-20/