10 Best Publishing for December 2025

Welcome to the Value Sense Blog, your resource for insights on the stock market! At Value Sense, we focus on intrinsic value tools and offer stock ideas with undervalued companies. Dive into our research products and learn more about our unique approach at valuesense.io

Explore diverse stock ideas covering technology, healthcare, and commodities sectors. Our insights are crafted to help investors spot opportunities in undervalued growth stocks, enhancing potential returns. Visit us to see evaluations and in-depth market research.

Market Overview & Selection Criteria

The current market environment presents compelling opportunities for value-focused investors willing to look beyond headline-grabbing mega-cap stocks. Our selection methodology emphasizes intrinsic value analysis, examining companies trading at meaningful discounts to their fundamental worth. These ten stocks span publishing, media, technology, consumer goods, and energy sectors—providing natural diversification while maintaining a focus on undervalued opportunities[1][2].

Each company in this watchlist has been evaluated using ValueSense's proprietary quality ratings, free cash flow analysis, and return on invested capital metrics. We prioritize businesses with strong cash generation capabilities, reasonable debt levels, and catalysts that could drive mean reversion toward intrinsic value. This approach mirrors successful long-term investment strategies that emphasize patience, research, and disciplined entry points[3][5].

Featured Stock Analysis

Stock #1: The New York Times Company (NYT)

Investment Thesis

The New York Times represents a compelling value opportunity within the media sector, combining strong fundamentals with proven digital transformation success. Trading at a market cap of $10.6B with an intrinsic value of $32.0, NYT demonstrates the highest quality rating in this collection at 7.8—reflecting exceptional operational efficiency and business model strength. The company has delivered impressive 1-year returns of 19.2%, yet still maintains meaningful upside potential based on intrinsic value metrics.

What distinguishes NYT is its exceptional cash generation profile. With a free cash flow margin of 19.5% and zero debt-to-equity ratio, the company operates with fortress-like financial strength. This combination enables strategic reinvestment in digital capabilities, content expansion, and shareholder returns without financial stress. The 26.1% return on invested capital significantly exceeds cost of capital, indicating management effectively deploys shareholder resources. Revenue of $2.75B with 8.4% growth demonstrates sustainable business expansion in a competitive media landscape.

Key Catalysts

• Continued digital subscriber growth and pricing power in core subscription products
• International expansion opportunities, particularly in emerging markets
• Potential margin expansion as digital revenue mix increases
• Strategic M&A opportunities to accelerate content diversification
• Advertising recovery as economic conditions stabilize

Risk Factors

• Cyclical advertising revenue exposure during economic downturns
• Intense competition from free digital news sources and social platforms
• Subscriber churn risk if content strategy fails to resonate with audiences
• Regulatory pressures on media companies and content moderation requirements
• Technology disruption in news consumption patterns

Stock #2: Pearson plc (PSO)

Investment Thesis

Pearson operates as a global education and professional services company with significant exposure to digital learning transformation. At a market cap of $8.8B and intrinsic value of $18.1, PSO offers attractive valuation despite recent headwinds. The quality rating of 7.2 reflects strong operational fundamentals, though recent performance has been challenged by market conditions, with 1-year returns of -15.7% creating potential entry opportunities for patient investors.

The company's financial profile reveals impressive cash generation capabilities with a 16.1% free cash flow margin on £7.1B in revenue. Most notably, Pearson achieves a 28.0% return on invested capital—among the highest in this collection—demonstrating exceptional capital efficiency. While revenue declined 6.4% year-over-year, this reflects market normalization post-pandemic rather than structural business deterioration. The 41.6% debt-to-equity ratio warrants monitoring but remains manageable for a cash-generative business of this scale.

Key Catalysts

• Recovery in higher education enrollment as demographic tailwinds resume
• Digital learning platform adoption acceleration in emerging markets
• Cost restructuring initiatives driving margin expansion
• Potential strategic partnerships or acquisitions in edtech space
• Professional certification program growth in corporate training

Risk Factors

• Continued pressure on higher education enrollment in developed markets
• Competitive intensity from free and low-cost online learning platforms
• Regulatory changes affecting education funding and accreditation
• Currency headwinds from international revenue exposure
• Technology disruption in traditional publishing and assessment models

Stock #3: News Corporation (NWS)

Investment Thesis

News Corporation represents a diversified media and publishing conglomerate with exposure to television, film, publishing, and digital real estate platforms. With a market cap of $16.7B and intrinsic value of $17.8, NWS trades near fair value with modest upside potential. The quality rating of 6.2 reflects solid operational performance, though recent 1-year returns of -8.3% indicate market skepticism about the media sector broadly. This presents a contrarian opportunity for investors believing in media sector stabilization.

NWS generates $8.5B in annual revenue with a robust 74.8% gross margin reflecting the high-margin nature of content and digital platforms. Free cash flow of $606M translates to a 7.1% FCF margin, providing consistent capital for dividends and strategic investments. The 6.8% return on invested capital, while modest compared to technology peers, reflects the capital-intensive nature of media production. Debt-to-equity of 31.4% remains reasonable for a mature, cash-generative business.

Key Catalysts

• Streaming service growth and profitability inflection
• Advertising market recovery as economic conditions improve
• Real estate platform monetization acceleration
• Cost optimization across legacy media operations
• Strategic divestitures or acquisitions to reshape portfolio

Risk Factors

• Secular decline in traditional television viewership and advertising
• Cord-cutting acceleration impacting cable network revenues
• Streaming competition from well-capitalized technology giants
• Content production cost inflation
• Regulatory scrutiny on media ownership and market concentration

Stock #4: Informatica Inc. (INFA)

Investment Thesis

Informatica operates in the enterprise data management and cloud integration software space, serving organizations managing complex data ecosystems. At $7.5B market cap with $32.1 intrinsic value, INFA presents significant upside potential for investors patient with software company valuations. The quality rating of 6.3 reflects solid business fundamentals, though modest 1-year returns of -3.7% suggest the market has overlooked this opportunity. The company's exceptional 80.7% gross margin underscores the high-margin nature of software businesses.

The standout metric is INFA's 27.8% free cash flow margin on $1.68B revenue, demonstrating exceptional cash generation relative to sales. This cash conversion capability provides flexibility for R&D investment, acquisitions, and shareholder returns. However, the 2.5% return on invested capital raises questions about capital deployment efficiency—suggesting management should prioritize high-return projects or return excess capital to shareholders. The minimal 4.6% debt-to-equity ratio provides financial flexibility for strategic initiatives.

Key Catalysts

• Cloud migration acceleration driving demand for data integration solutions
• AI-powered data management feature adoption and premium pricing
• International market expansion, particularly in Asia-Pacific
• Potential strategic acquisitions to expand product portfolio
• Operating leverage as cloud revenue scales

Risk Factors

• Intense competition from larger cloud infrastructure providers
• Customer concentration risk in enterprise software segment
• Slower-than-expected cloud adoption in certain verticals
• Technology disruption from emerging data platforms
• Execution risk on product roadmap and market positioning

Stock #5: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY)

Investment Thesis

John Wiley & Sons operates as a global publisher serving academic, professional, and consumer markets with exposure to educational content, scientific journals, and professional development. At $1.93B market cap with intrinsic value of $33.4, WLY presents a compelling deep-value opportunity, though recent performance has been challenging with 1-year returns of -29.8%. The quality rating of 6.1 reflects reasonable operational fundamentals despite market headwinds. This significant discount to intrinsic value warrants investigation for contrarian investors.

The company generates $1.67B in revenue with an impressive 71.1% gross margin reflecting the high-margin nature of publishing. However, revenue declined 8.5% year-over-year, indicating market pressures in traditional publishing. Free cash flow of $129.4M yields a 7.7% FCF margin, providing modest but consistent cash generation. The concerning 126.0% debt-to-equity ratio suggests elevated financial leverage that constrains strategic flexibility and increases refinancing risk—a key consideration for potential investors.

Key Catalysts

• Digital content platform adoption and subscription revenue growth
• Cost restructuring initiatives reducing legacy publishing overhead
• Strategic partnerships with educational technology providers
• Potential debt reduction improving financial flexibility
• Consolidation opportunities in academic publishing sector

Risk Factors

• Continued secular decline in print publishing demand
• High debt burden limiting financial flexibility and strategic options
• Refinancing risk if credit markets tighten
• Intense competition from open-access publishing models
• Customer concentration in academic institutions facing budget pressures

Stock #6: Post Holdings, Inc. (POST)

Investment Thesis

Post Holdings operates as a diversified consumer goods company with exposure to branded food products, active nutrition, and pet care segments. At $5.6B market cap with intrinsic value of $137.5, POST represents an exceptional deep-value opportunity with substantial upside potential. The quality rating of 5.9 reflects moderate operational performance, and recent 1-year returns of -13.7% have created a significant valuation disconnect. This represents a classic value opportunity for investors with conviction in the company's turnaround potential.

POST generates $8.16B in annual revenue with 3.0% growth, indicating stable but modest expansion. The 28.1% gross margin reflects typical consumer goods economics. Free cash flow of $619M translates to a 7.6% FCF margin, providing consistent capital generation. However, the alarming 197.2% debt-to-equity ratio represents the highest leverage in this collection and constitutes the primary risk factor. This elevated debt burden significantly constrains financial flexibility and increases refinancing risk, requiring careful monitoring.

Key Catalysts

• Debt reduction initiatives improving financial flexibility
• Branded product portfolio expansion in high-growth categories
• Pet care segment acceleration driven by pet ownership trends
• Operational efficiency improvements and margin expansion
• Potential strategic divestitures to reduce leverage

Risk Factors

• Extremely high debt burden creating refinancing and covenant risk
• Commodity input cost inflation pressuring margins
• Intense competition in branded food products
• Changing consumer preferences toward healthier options
• Economic sensitivity of discretionary food purchases

Most investors waste time on the wrong metrics. We've spent 10,000+ hours perfecting our value investing engine to find what actually matters.

Want to see what we'll uncover next - before everyone else does?

Find Hidden Gems First!

Stock #7: TXNM Energy, Inc. (TXNM)

Investment Thesis

TXNM Energy operates in the energy sector with exposure to power generation and distribution. At $5.4B market cap with intrinsic value of $76.2, TXNM presents a compelling value opportunity with substantial upside potential. The quality rating of 5.6 reflects moderate operational performance, though recent 1-year returns of 21.1% indicate market recognition of improving fundamentals. Revenue of $2.11B with 10.6% growth demonstrates strong business expansion in the energy transition environment.

The company's financial profile presents a mixed picture requiring careful analysis. While gross margin of 56.4% is respectable, the negative free cash flow of -$555.8M and -26.4% FCF margin raise significant concerns about cash generation. This negative cash flow likely reflects substantial capital investments in infrastructure or business expansion rather than operational distress, but requires detailed investigation. The unusual negative debt-to-equity ratio suggests the company may have net cash positions or specific capital structure characteristics warranting further analysis.

Key Catalysts

• Energy transition investments driving long-term growth
• Renewable energy portfolio expansion and integration
• Regulatory support for clean energy infrastructure
• Operational efficiency improvements as new assets mature
• Potential strategic partnerships or acquisitions

Risk Factors

• Negative free cash flow requiring external financing or asset sales
• Regulatory changes affecting energy pricing and profitability
• Commodity price volatility impacting revenues
• Capital intensity of energy infrastructure investments
• Technology disruption in energy generation and distribution

Stock #8: Polaris Inc. (PII)

Investment Thesis

Polaris operates as a manufacturer of powersports vehicles including snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and motorcycles. At $3.78B market cap with intrinsic value of $45.8, PII represents a deep-value opportunity with significant upside potential. The quality rating of 5.4 reflects moderate operational performance, and recent 1-year returns of -1.4% suggest the market has overlooked this opportunity. Revenue of $6.99B with negative 9.4% growth indicates market headwinds in the powersports sector, creating a potential contrarian opportunity.

The company's financial profile reflects challenges in the current market environment. The 19.2% gross margin is relatively low for a manufacturer, reflecting competitive pressures and input cost inflation. Free cash flow of $581M yields an 8.3% FCF margin, providing modest cash generation. The 1.8% return on invested capital is concerning, suggesting management struggles to deploy capital efficiently. Most troubling is the 112.0% debt-to-equity ratio, indicating elevated financial leverage that constrains strategic flexibility during cyclical downturns.

Key Catalysts

• Powersports market recovery as consumer spending normalizes
• Electric vehicle platform development and market adoption
• International market expansion, particularly in emerging markets
• Cost restructuring initiatives improving operational efficiency
• Potential strategic partnerships in electrification

Risk Factors

• Cyclical demand exposure to consumer discretionary spending
• High debt burden limiting financial flexibility during downturns
• Intense competition from established and emerging manufacturers
• Supply chain disruptions affecting production and profitability
• Technology disruption from electric vehicle transition

Stock #9: Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI)

Investment Thesis

Gannett operates as a media and publishing company with exposure to local news, digital platforms, and advertising services. At $676.8M market cap with intrinsic value of $9.4, GCI represents an extreme deep-value opportunity, though significant risks accompany the potential reward. The quality rating of 5.7 reflects moderate operational performance, and recent 1-year returns of -12.8% indicate ongoing market skepticism. Revenue of $2.34B with negative 8.6% decline reflects secular pressures in traditional media.

The company's financial profile reveals severe operational challenges. Free cash flow of only $28.3M on $2.34B revenue yields a concerning 1.2% FCF margin—among the lowest in this collection. This minimal cash generation limits strategic flexibility and debt service capacity. Most alarming is the 597.1% debt-to-equity ratio, the highest in this collection by a significant margin, indicating extreme financial leverage and substantial refinancing risk. The 10.1% return on invested capital provides limited comfort given the leverage burden.

Key Catalysts

• Digital transformation initiatives driving revenue stabilization
• Cost restructuring reducing legacy media overhead
• Potential strategic partnerships or consolidation
• Advertising market recovery as economic conditions improve
• Debt restructuring improving financial sustainability

Risk Factors

• Extreme debt burden creating significant refinancing and covenant risk
• Minimal free cash flow limiting debt service capacity
• Continued secular decline in print advertising and circulation
• Intense competition from digital-native news platforms
• Potential bankruptcy or restructuring if market conditions deteriorate

Stock #10: Agora, Inc. (API)

Investment Thesis

Agora operates as a real-time engagement platform providing video, voice, and messaging services for developers and enterprises. At $335.6M market cap with intrinsic value of $14.6, API represents an extreme deep-value opportunity with substantial upside potential. The quality rating of 5.4 reflects moderate operational performance, though recent 1-year returns of -30.0% indicate significant market pessimism. Revenue of $137.4M with modest 1.9% growth demonstrates a small but growing business in the real-time communications space.

The company's financial profile presents significant challenges requiring careful analysis. Negative free cash flow of -$18.5M and -13.4% FCF margin indicate the company is not yet cash-generative, suggesting ongoing investment in product development and market expansion. The negative 8.3% return on invested capital confirms the company is not yet generating returns on deployed capital. However, the 66.8% gross margin reflects the high-margin nature of software platforms. The modest 13.5% debt-to-equity ratio provides some financial flexibility despite operational challenges.

Key Catalysts

• Path to profitability and positive free cash flow generation
• Enterprise customer adoption acceleration
• International market expansion, particularly in Asia
• AI-powered feature development driving platform differentiation
• Potential strategic partnerships or acquisition by larger platform

Risk Factors

• Negative free cash flow requiring ongoing capital raises
• Intense competition from larger, well-capitalized platforms
• Customer concentration risk in early-stage business
• Technology disruption in real-time communications
• Execution risk on product roadmap and market adoption

Portfolio Diversification Insights

This collection of ten stocks provides meaningful sector diversification while maintaining a focus on undervalued opportunities. The portfolio spans media and publishing (NYT, NWS, PSO, WLY, GCI), technology and software (INFA, API), consumer goods (POST), energy (TXNM), and industrials (PII). This diversification reduces concentration risk while providing exposure to different economic cycles and market dynamics.

The quality ratings range from 5.4 to 7.8, with higher-quality businesses like NYT and PSO offering more defensive characteristics, while lower-rated companies like API and GCI present higher-risk, higher-reward opportunities. Investors building a portfolio from this collection should consider their risk tolerance and investment horizon when determining allocation weights.

Notably, the portfolio includes several highly leveraged companies (POST at 197%, GCI at 597%, PII at 112%) alongside fortress-balance-sheet businesses (NYT with zero debt). This creates natural hedging opportunities—pairing high-leverage value plays with lower-leverage quality businesses can optimize risk-adjusted returns. The cash generation profiles vary significantly, from NYT's exceptional 19.5% FCF margin to GCI's minimal 1.2%, requiring careful position sizing based on financial strength.

Market Timing & Entry Strategies

Successful value investing requires disciplined entry strategies aligned with individual company fundamentals and broader market conditions. For higher-quality businesses like NYT and PSO, dollar-cost averaging into positions over 3-6 months provides downside protection while capturing mean reversion. These companies' strong cash generation and reasonable leverage profiles support patient accumulation strategies.

For deep-value opportunities like POST, WLY, and GCI, investors should establish clear catalysts and valuation targets before initiating positions. These companies' elevated leverage and operational challenges warrant more selective entry points—waiting for specific positive developments or further valuation compression before committing capital. Setting price targets based on intrinsic value estimates provides discipline and prevents emotional decision-making.

Technology and software plays like INFA and API benefit from staged entry approaches, with initial positions at current valuations followed by additional purchases if valuations compress further. These businesses' high gross margins and potential for operating leverage justify patient accumulation, particularly if market sentiment deteriorates further.

Energy and industrial stocks like TXNM and PII warrant careful monitoring of commodity cycles and consumer spending trends. Entry strategies should align with leading economic indicators suggesting cycle inflection points. Investors should avoid catching falling knives by waiting for stabilization signals before committing significant capital.

Explore More Investment Opportunities

For investors seeking undervalued companies with high fundamental quality, our analytics team provides curated stock lists:

📌 50 Undervalued Stocks (Best overall value plays for 2025)

📌 50 Undervalued Dividend Stocks (For income-focused investors)

📌 50 Undervalued Growth Stocks (High-growth potential with strong fundamentals)

🔍 Check out these stocks on the Value Sense platform for free!

More Articles You Might Like

• How VKTX (Viking Therapeutics) Makes Money in 2025: A Deep-Dive With Income Statement
• How NET (Cloudflare) Makes Money in 2025: A Deep-Dive With Income Statement
• How MASS (908 Devices) Makes Money in 2025: A Deep-Dive With Income Statement
• How CRVO (CervoMed) Makes Money in 2025: A Deep-Dive With Income Statement
• How GILD (Gilead Sciences) Makes Money in 2025: A Deep-Dive With Income Statement

FAQ Section

Q1: How were these stocks selected for this watchlist?

These ten stocks were selected using ValueSense's proprietary fundamental analysis methodology, emphasizing intrinsic value calculations, quality ratings, and cash flow generation. Each company was evaluated based on financial metrics including free cash flow margins, return on invested capital, debt levels, and valuation discounts to intrinsic value. The selection prioritizes businesses with meaningful valuation discounts while maintaining reasonable operational fundamentals, creating a balanced portfolio of value opportunities across multiple sectors.

Q2: Which stock from this list offers the best risk-adjusted opportunity?

The New York Times Company (NYT) presents the most compelling risk-adjusted opportunity, combining the highest quality rating 7.8 with fortress-like financial strength (zero debt) and exceptional cash generation (19.5% FCF margin). While the intrinsic value upside is more modest than some deep-value plays, NYT's operational excellence and financial flexibility provide downside protection. For investors seeking higher-risk, higher-reward opportunities, Pearson (PSO) offers exceptional capital efficiency (28% ROIC) with meaningful valuation upside, though with higher leverage than NYT.

Q3: Should I buy all these stocks or focus on a subset for diversification?

Portfolio construction depends on individual risk tolerance, investment horizon, and capital availability. Conservative investors should focus on higher-quality businesses like NYT, PSO, and INFA, which combine reasonable valuations with stronger operational fundamentals. Aggressive investors comfortable with higher leverage and operational risk can include deep-value plays like POST, WLY, and GCI. A balanced approach might allocate 40% to quality businesses, 40% to moderate-value opportunities, and 20% to high-risk, high-reward plays, adjusting based on personal preferences and market conditions.

Q4: What are the biggest risks with these stock picks?

The primary risks vary by company but include elevated leverage (POST at 197% debt-to-equity, GCI at 597%), negative free cash flow (TXNM and API), and secular industry headwinds (media and publishing companies facing structural decline). Cyclical exposure (PII in powersports, POST in consumer goods) creates vulnerability to economic downturns. Investors should carefully evaluate each company's specific risk profile and ensure positions are sized appropriately for their risk tolerance. Diversification across the portfolio helps mitigate individual company risks.

Q5: When is the best time to invest in these stocks?

Timing depends on individual company dynamics and broader market conditions. For quality businesses like NYT and PSO, dollar-cost averaging over several months captures valuation mean reversion while reducing timing risk. For deep-value opportunities like POST and WLY, waiting for specific positive catalysts or further valuation compression improves risk-reward profiles. Monitor earnings announcements, debt refinancing events, and industry trends for optimal entry points. Investors should establish clear valuation targets and catalysts before committing capital, avoiding emotional decision-making based on short-term price movements.