If you were watching the tickers on the New York Stock Exchange today, January 14, 2026, you probably saw a sea of red and green that felt a bit like a headache. But for those specifically tracking the conservative media landscape, one number stood out. Newsmax (NMAX) closed at $7.49 per share today. It wasn't a banner day for the Florida-based broadcaster. The stock dipped by roughly 0.53%, slipping down from its previous close of $7.53. Honestly, the trading volume was pretty thin, too. Only about 990,580 shares changed hands, which is just a tiny bit above the recent average. When volume is that low, every little sell order feels like it carries more weight than it should.
The NMAX Rollercoaster: What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of folks look at the $7.49 price tag and think, "Wait, wasn't this stock huge last year?" You're not imagining things. If you look at the 52-week data, the high is a staggering **$265**. That is not a typo. Back in early 2025, right after the IPO in March, the stock went absolutely parabolic.
It was a classic "meme stock" moment fueled by political fervor and a very tight supply of shares—only about 6% of the company was actually available to the public at first. At one point, Newsmax had a market cap that rivaled Fox Corp, which, let's be real, was a bit of a "pinch me" moment for the team in Boca Raton.
But things have changed. The hype cooled off. Reality set in. Now, we're seeing the stock hover much closer to its 52-week low of $7.31. Basically, the market is currently valuing the company at around $967 million. That's a far cry from the $29 billion valuation it touched during those wild first few days of trading.
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Why the Stock Is Stuck in the Mud Right Now
You might be wondering why the stock isn't moving much, even with the 2026 midterms starting to loom on the horizon. There are a couple of big things weighing on the price.
The Legal Shadow
First, there's the legal stuff. It’s no secret that Newsmax has been through the wringer with defamation lawsuits. They settled with Smartmatic last year for about $40 million, which they’re paying out over time. But the big one—Dominion Voting Systems—is still a giant question mark hanging over their balance sheet. Investors hate uncertainty. Until that's settled, many big money managers are staying on the sidelines.
Distribution and Carriage Deals
On the bright side, the company hasn't been sitting still. Just a few weeks ago, in mid-December, they managed to renew their carriage agreement with YouTube TV. That’s a massive win because it keeps them in front of millions of cord-cutters. They also just announced some expansion deals in Europe and the Middle East, specifically in France and Israel.
But even with those wins, the company is still reporting net losses. In the third quarter of 2025, they brought in $45.3 million in revenue, which was actually up 4% year-over-year. They managed to shrink their net loss to about $4.1 million, which is a huge improvement from the year before, but "less loss" isn't the same as "profit."
Looking Ahead: Is a Recovery Coming?
Analysts are surprisingly split on this one. Some folks at firms like Public.com have noted an average price target of around $21.50. If the stock actually hit that, you'd be looking at a nearly 200% gain from today's close.
But that’s a big "if." For that to happen, Newsmax probably needs a few things to go right:
- A clean resolution to the remaining lawsuits.
- A massive surge in ad revenue as the 2026 election cycle heats up.
- More aggressive moves into the digital space, like their Newsmax+ app.
Interestingly, there's also been talk about the board approving a plan to buy Bitcoin and Trump Coin—about $5 million worth. It’s an unusual move for a media company, and it shows they’re willing to take some unconventional risks to bolster the balance sheet.
What This Means for Your Portfolio
If you're holding NMAX or thinking about jumping in, today's close at $7.49 tells you one thing: the stock is in a holding pattern. It’s basically sitting on its support level. If it breaks below that $7.31 mark, it could get ugly. But if it holds, and we see some positive earnings news in February 2026, it might finally catch a breeze.
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For now, the smart move is to keep a close eye on the volume. If you see it spike without a corresponding price jump, that usually means big institutional players are quietly moving in—or out.
Keep an eye on the February 24, 2026, earnings date. That’s going to be the next big "make or break" moment for the stock. Until then, expect more of this slow, sideways grind.
Next Steps for Investors:
- Check your brokerage app to see if you have Class B Common Stock, as these are the shares that trade under the NMAX ticker.
- Monitor the SEC filings for any news regarding the Dominion settlement, as this is the single biggest "known unknown" for the company's valuation.
- Watch the 2026 midterm ad spend reports to see if Newsmax is capturing a larger share of the conservative advertising market compared to its rivals.