Liberty Media Stock Climbs 25% On An 8-Day Winning Streak
Shares of Liberty Media (FWONA) have closed higher in each of the last 8 sessions, a cumulative gain of 24.5%. That added about $5.2 billion to the company’s market value, which now stands at about $26.6 billion. The stock closed at $105.98 on Wednesday, November 11, its highest close of the past year.
How The Streak Stacks Up Against The S&P 500
Returns for FWONA and the S&P 500 over the streak and the periods around it, all ending Wednesday, November 11 and including dividends:
| Return Period | FWONA | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Day | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| 8 Days (Current Streak) | 24.5% | 0.5% |
| 1 Month (21 Trading Days) | 24.4% | -2.3% |
| 3 Months (63 Trading Days) | 11.9% | -2.0% |
| Year To Date | 18.6% | 12.4% |
| 1 Year (252 Trading Days) | 14.7% | 12.8% |
Is This Move About Liberty Media Or The Market?
The market explains little of this: the S&P 500 gained 0.5% over the same 8 sessions, including dividends, against Liberty Media’s +24.5%. Over the past three months the stock is up 11.9%, a window that includes the streak; over the other 55 sessions of that window it was down 10.1%.
What The Numbers Say About The Rally
On the fundamentals, revenue grew 10.9% over the last twelve months, against a median of 9.1% for S&P 500 Communication Services stocks; its operating margin is 13.3%, versus a median of 21.1%; and the stock trades at 47.7 times trailing earnings against a median of 18.1. The numbers make the run harder to justify: margins below the median and a multiple well above the median. At this price, the stock is asking a lot of the business.
A climb like this is worth respecting, and worth testing. Our Guidance Momentum screen tracks the stocks whose companies just raised their own forward numbers.
One Hot Stock Is A Story. Thirty Sound Ones Are A Strategy
A streak like this earns a place on your watchlist, and it also earns a question: how much of your outcome do you want depending on one company keeping this up?
The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio answers it with breadth: roughly 30 businesses picked for consistent cash generation, strong margins, and balance-sheet strength, sized and rebalanced by rules. It has a track record of outpacing a benchmark that combines the S&P 500, the S&P MidCap 400, and the Russell 2000. Follow the story; invest in the strategy.