GLOBAL RESEARCH ARCHIVE
STUB - BUY - Upgrading to BUY, $12.50 PT; See Upside to 2026 Numbers, Regulatory Risk Appears to Be Fading
Research evidence excerpt
STUB - BUY - Upgrading to BUY, $12.50 PT; See Upside to 2026 Numbers, Regulatory Risk Appears to Be Fading
MEDIA & LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
STUBHUB HOLDINGS, INC. May 19, 2026
6) Regulatory Risks Appear More Muted: Regulatory intervention by various government
entities (federal, state, international) was a primary risk we highlighted in our initiation. The
recent $10mm settlement with the FTC has led us to lower our probability of additional
federal action in the near-term. Additionally, on the international front, we saw action in the
UK as possible - however - no price cap legislation was included in the King's Speech earlier
this month at least pushing the timeline back on the risk there. Proposed legislation in NY
and CA have not appeared to gain much traction either in recent months. Taken in totality
we see the risk of regulation impacting 2026 results as very minimal (event the risk to 2027
now appears relatively low).
Valuation: We are upgrading STUB to a BUY (from NEUTRAL) and raising our price target
to $12.50 based on 10.0x our (slightly higher) 2027 EV/EBITDA estimate discounted back
(10.0x is up from 8.5x - on lower overall risk we see in the business given the 2026 outlook,
path to delver, and easing regulatory concerns). We use our 2027 forecast to try and
adequately capture our view of STUB’s forward growth initiatives: advertising, secondary
growth, and direct issuance. Our view is that STUB should trade at a material discount to
Live Nation (LYV) and a premium to Vivid Seats (SEAT).
Risks: Risks to our thesis include: The ticketing industry is competitive and STUB could
fail to maintain its current share or lose share to competitors; the business depends on
consumers wanting to attend large-scale live events, which could change due to a number of
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