# Live Nation Entertainment (LYV.US)

Canonical: https://gigainvestors.com/s/LYV

Analysis as of: 2026-10-16T07:30:00.979Z. Financial observations: FY2001–FY2025.

Listing currency: USD. Reporting currency: USD.

## Verdict

Not a wonderful business

Quality tests for Buy: not passed (profit record: fail; earnings resilience is evidence only). Published buy qualification: no.

Share price: $172.51 per share; close as of 2026-10-15.

Estimated value: low $53.18 per share, central $56.88 per share, high $61.80 per share. Buy at or below the central value $56.88 per share. Valuation as of 2026-10-16T07:30:00.979Z; scenarios are not confidence intervals.

Expected annual return: 4.4% at the stated quote. About 4.4% a year at today's price (required return 10.0%). required return 10.0% a year (10% floor; US 10-year bond 5.1% + 4 points).

## Checklist

### understandable: fail

- 1 revenue decline in the last 10 years (informational)

- more than 2 net loss years

- negative average operating margin

- operating margin variation exceeds 0.35

- Financial history: 10 years

- Years with declining revenue: 1

- Years with a net loss: 3

- Operating margin variation: 4.04×

Chart: Operating margin; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: 0.02×

- FY2017: 0.01×

- FY2018: 0.03×

- FY2019: 0.03×

- FY2020: -0.89×

- FY2021: -0.07×

- FY2022: 0.04×

- FY2023: 0.05×

- FY2024: 0.04×

- FY2025: 0.06×

### moat: fail

- Years with nonpositive invested capital use equity plus debt and leases; positive earnings with no positive capital are shown above 100%.

- ROIC median below threshold

- ROIC worst years below threshold (more than 1 bad year allowed)

- ROIC, median of available years: 8.6%

- ROIC, second-lowest year: -4.8%

- Typical minus recent gross margin: 2.9 pp

- Typical gross margin (annual median): 25.9%

- Recent gross margin (lower of latest and 3-year median): 23.0%

- Years with nonpositive capital: 6

- Capital spending / revenue: 2.6%

- ROIC including acquisitions, ten-year median: 9.2%

Chart: ROIC excluding acquisitions; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: 76.6%

- FY2017: 2.1%

- FY2018: 4.8%

- FY2019: 13.2%

- FY2020: -85.0%

- FY2021: -4.8%

- FY2022: 7.5%

- FY2023: 10.0%

- FY2024: 9.8%

- FY2025: >100%

### economics: pass

- Owner earnings / net income, 5-yr: 1.25×

- Cash conversion uses consolidated totals: No

- Owner earnings, five-year total: $1.9B

- Net income, five-year total: $1.6B

- Return on incremental invested capital: >100%

- Working capital / revenue, annual change: 0.7 pp

- Working capital / revenue, change between three-year averages: 5.3 pp

- Working capital / revenue, final three-year average: 2.6%

Chart: Annual owner cash / profit; fiscal year observations.

- FY2021: 0.61×

- FY2022: 1.36×

- FY2023: 1.06×

- FY2024: 1.00×

- FY2025: 1.00×

### management: fail

- Historical market-dollar context (not the management verdict): 2016 to 2025 (9 years)

- potential debt-funded buybacks (informational)

- buybacks unrelated to price (informational)

- ROIC first 3 years vs last 3 years: 4.8% vs 10.0%

- Per-share earnings: -0.03 to 2.41 (three-year endpoint medians)

- five-year and ten-year diluted share growth both above threshold

- Management verdict uses per-share economic progress: Yes

- Ordinary dilution, 10-year annual growth: 1.4%

- Ordinary dilution, 5-year annual growth: 1.8%

- Market cap gain: $28B

- Cumulative retained earnings: $31M

- Diluted shares, 10-year annual growth: 1.4%

- Diluted shares, 5-year annual growth: 1.8%

- $1 test, starting fiscal year: FY2016

- $1 test, ending fiscal year: FY2025

- Per-share value change: $2.44

- Per-share value, starting three-year median: -$0.03

- Per-share value, ending three-year median: $2.41

- Buybacks concentrated in cheaper years (correlation): -0.18

- Average buyback yield: 0.2%

- Buyback history: 9 years

- Debt-funded buybacks: Yes

- Acquisition spending: $2.3B

- Cumulative net income, 10 years: -$33M

- ROIC, first three-year median: 4.8%

- ROIC, last three-year median: 10.0%

Chart: Earnings per share; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: $0.01

- FY2017: -$0.03

- FY2018: $0.29

- FY2019: $0.33

- FY2020: -$8.12

- FY2021: -$3.00

- FY2022: $1.15

- FY2023: $2.41

- FY2024: $3.79

- FY2025: $2.14

### accounting: pass

- Sloan accruals: -3.9%

- Receivables to sales index (DSRI): 1.09×

- Restructuring years, last five: 0

- Stock compensation / operating cash flow: 11.1%

- Earnings backed by cash: Yes

- Operating cash / earnings: 2.81×

- Accounting red flags: 0

- Goodwill and intangibles / equity: 16.00×

Chart: Sloan accruals; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: -8.8%

- FY2017: -8.4%

- FY2018: -10.4%

- FY2019: -3.6%

- FY2020: -6.1%

- FY2021: -16.9%

- FY2022: -9.5%

- FY2023: -4.2%

- FY2024: -4.2%

- FY2025: -3.9%

## Holders

- [Sarah Ketterer](https://gigainvestors.com/CAU): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

- [Pat Dorsey](https://gigainvestors.com/DA): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

- [David Hoeft](https://gigainvestors.com/DAC): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

- [Mason Hawkins](https://gigainvestors.com/SE): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

- [Stuart McLaughlin](https://gigainvestors.com/TFP): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

- [Jeffrey Ubben](https://gigainvestors.com/VA): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

- [William Von Mueffling](https://gigainvestors.com/cc): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

- [Daniel Loeb](https://gigainvestors.com/tp): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

## Price story

Price needs cash profits to grow 20.9% a year for ten years · sales +8.8%

Story as of 2026-10-16T09:59:07.059Z; price observation 2026-10-15.

Price needs cash profits to grow 20.9% a year for ten years

- 2025-08-07: Live Nation beats revenue estimates on red-hot concert demand ([investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/live-nation-beats-revenue-estimates-on-redhot-concert-demand-4178256))

- 2025-11-04: Live Nation (NYSE:LYV) Misses Q3 Revenue Estimates, Stock Drops ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live-nation-nyse-lyv-misses-220614663.html))

- 2026-02-20: Live Nation Fourth-Quarter Revenue Tops Views; Sees Double-Digit Operating Income Growth in 2026 ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live-nation-fourth-quarter-revenue-115245793.html))

- 2026-06-12: Live Nation (LYV) Is Up 7.0% After Raising 2026 Outlook And Easing Antitrust Concerns ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/live-nation-lyv-7-0-051150046.html))

### Sales · FY2024–2025

sales +8.8%; source https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525826000009/lyv-20251231.htm; observed 2026-02-19.

- FY2016: $7.8B 

- FY2017: $9.7B 

- FY2018: $11B 

- FY2019: $12B 

- FY2020: $1.9B 

- FY2021: $6.3B 

- FY2022: $17B 

- FY2023: $23B 

- FY2024: $23B 

- FY2025: $25B 

### Gross margin · FY2025

gross margin 23%; source https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525826000009/lyv-20251231.htm; observed 2026-02-19.

- FY2016: 27.9% 

- FY2017: 25.9% 

- FY2018: 26.1% 

- FY2019: 26.7% 

- FY2020: 24.6% 

- FY2021: 30.5% 

- FY2022: 26.0% 

- FY2023: 24.1% 

- FY2024: 25.2% 

- FY2025: 23.0% 

## Owner memo

Memo as of 2026-10-16T08:06:05.509Z.

### How it makes money

Operates in entertainment; annual sales are USD 25.2 billion.

- Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525826000009/lyv-20251231.htm (filed 2026-02-19); FY2025: revenue 25201406000; grossProfit 5799178000; margin = grossProfit / revenue.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-10-16); LYV.US: Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. operates as a live entertainment company worldwide. The company operates through Concerts, Ticketing, and Sponsorship & Advertising segments. Its Concerts segment promotes live music events in its owned or operated venues, and in rented third-party venues. This segment operates and manages music venues; produces music festivals; creates associated content; and offers management and other services to artists. The Ticketing segment manages the ticketing operations, including the provision of ticketing software and services to consumers with marketplace for tickets and event information through mobile apps, other websites, and retail outlets, as well as its websites, such as livenation.com and ticketmaster.com; and provides ticket resale services. This segment offers ticketing services for arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, music clubs, concert promoters, professional sports franchises and leagues, college sports teams, performing arts venues, museums, and theaters. Its Sponsorship & Advertising segment sells international, national, and local sponsorships and placement of advertising, including signage, online advertising, and promotional programs; rich media offering, including advertising related with live streaming and music-related content; and ads through distribution network of venues, events, and websites. This segment also manages the development of strategic sponsorship programs, as well as develops, books, and produces custom events or programs for specific brands. It owns, operates, or leases entertainment venues. The company was formerly known as Live Nation, Inc. and changed its name to Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. in January 2010. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.

### Why customers stay

Margins ranged from 23% to 25.2% during 2023–25; it earns 8.6% on its capital.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2023: grossProfit / revenue = 24.1%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2024: grossProfit / revenue = 25.2%.

- Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525826000009/lyv-20251231.htm (filed 2026-02-19); FY2025: grossProfit / revenue = 23%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); 10-year return on capital observations [[2016,0.7661345909668057],[2017,0.020741285579067868],[2018,0.04798039031646539],[2019,0.13160612267031],[2020,-0.8497965207071022],[2021,-0.04799567482123089],[2022,0.07521404920944677],[2023,0.09970241180396028],[2024,0.09763287264280751],[2025,1.4643684978271174]]; median 0.08642346092612714. ROIC follows the displayed moat series; financial companies use return on tangible equity.

### Where the cash goes

Spends 91% of cash earnings on expansion; paid dividends in 7 of 10 years.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2016: growth capex 0; upkeep 180061000; owner earnings 35350818.051928855. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2017: growth capex 0; upkeep 249412000; owner earnings 200108000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2018: growth capex 0; upkeep 275463000; owner earnings 134320457.09541732. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2019: growth capex 0; upkeep 365827000; owner earnings 148053000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2022: growth capex 0; upkeep 353286000; owner earnings 363130000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2023: growth capex 0; upkeep 475257000; owner earnings 588396199.8714452. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); FY2024: growth capex 125233000; upkeep 549923000; owner earnings 896287000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.1397242178007714.

- Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525826000009/lyv-20251231.htm (filed 2026-02-19); FY2025: growth capex 451465000; upkeep 638872000; owner earnings 495972000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.9102630793673836.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); Dividend observations: [[2016,55131000],[2017,46036000],[2018,59187000],[2019,1249000],[2020,16892000],[2021,45845000],[2022,76925000],[2023,0],[2024,0],[2025,0]]. Zero only counted when supported by a complete cash-flow statement.

- Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525826000009/lyv-20251231.htm (filed 2026-02-19); FY2025: cash repurchases 23531000 USD.

### Are managers owners

Insiders own 32.4% of the company.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-10-16); LYV.US SharesStats.PercentInsiders = 32.414 percentage points; cache date 2026-10-16.

### What could break it

"Our business is highly sensitive to public tastes" (SEC filing, Feb 2026)

- Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525826000009/lyv-20251231.htm (filed 2026-02-19); Our business is highly sensitive to public tastes

### What the price says

The price assumes cash profits grow 20.9% yearly over ten years; actual growth was 7.4%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-19); Ten-year compound average after fade. Initial solved rate 0.2913815684459933. Price 172.51; FX 1; discount 0.1; same standard ten-year fade to terminal 0.03. FY2015 owner earnings/share 1.0447895651508456 → FY2025 2.1392460371033493. Closing-price date 2026-10-15.

## Monthly share-price history (USD per share)

- 2016-10: $27.67 per share

- 2016-11: $27.68 per share

- 2016-12: $26.60 per share

- 2017-01: $28.62 per share

- 2017-02: $28.41 per share

- 2017-03: $30.37 per share

- 2017-04: $32.16 per share

- 2017-05: $34.49 per share

- 2017-06: $34.85 per share

- 2017-07: $37.27 per share

- 2017-08: $39.96 per share

- 2017-09: $43.55 per share

- 2017-10: $43.78 per share

- 2017-11: $45.38 per share

- 2017-12: $42.57 per share

- 2018-01: $45.06 per share

- 2018-02: $44.80 per share

- 2018-03: $42.14 per share

- 2018-04: $39.47 per share

- 2018-05: $42.63 per share

- 2018-06: $48.57 per share

- 2018-07: $49.28 per share

- 2018-08: $49.68 per share

- 2018-09: $54.47 per share

- 2018-10: $52.30 per share

- 2018-11: $55.68 per share

- 2018-12: $49.25 per share

- 2019-01: $53.51 per share

- 2019-02: $56.56 per share

- 2019-03: $63.54 per share

- 2019-04: $65.34 per share

- 2019-05: $60.82 per share

- 2019-06: $66.25 per share

- 2019-07: $72.06 per share

- 2019-08: $69.51 per share

- 2019-09: $66.34 per share

- 2019-10: $70.50 per share

- 2019-11: $69.81 per share

- 2019-12: $71.47 per share

- 2020-01: $68.16 per share

- 2020-02: $60.77 per share

- 2020-03: $45.46 per share

- 2020-04: $44.87 per share

- 2020-05: $49.16 per share

- 2020-06: $44.33 per share

- 2020-07: $46.81 per share

- 2020-08: $56.80 per share

- 2020-09: $53.88 per share

- 2020-10: $48.80 per share

- 2020-11: $65.65 per share

- 2020-12: $73.48 per share

- 2021-01: $66.45 per share

- 2021-02: $88.86 per share

- 2021-03: $84.65 per share

- 2021-04: $81.88 per share

- 2021-05: $90.11 per share

- 2021-06: $87.59 per share

- 2021-07: $78.89 per share

- 2021-08: $86.70 per share

- 2021-09: $91.13 per share

- 2021-10: $101.15 per share

- 2021-11: $106.65 per share

- 2021-12: $119.69 per share

- 2022-01: $109.51 per share

- 2022-02: $120.82 per share

- 2022-03: $117.64 per share

- 2022-04: $104.88 per share

- 2022-05: $95.05 per share

- 2022-06: $82.58 per share

- 2022-07: $93.99 per share

- 2022-08: $90.36 per share

- 2022-09: $76.04 per share

- 2022-10: $79.61 per share

- 2022-11: $72.76 per share

- 2022-12: $69.74 per share

- 2023-01: $80.49 per share

- 2023-02: $72.06 per share

- 2023-03: $70.00 per share

- 2023-04: $67.78 per share

- 2023-05: $79.94 per share

- 2023-06: $91.11 per share

- 2023-07: $87.75 per share

- 2023-08: $84.53 per share

- 2023-09: $83.04 per share

- 2023-10: $80.02 per share

- 2023-11: $84.22 per share

- 2023-12: $93.60 per share

- 2024-01: $88.85 per share

- 2024-02: $96.98 per share

- 2024-03: $105.77 per share

- 2024-04: $88.91 per share

- 2024-05: $93.74 per share

- 2024-06: $93.74 per share

- 2024-07: $96.19 per share

- 2024-08: $97.67 per share

- 2024-09: $109.49 per share

- 2024-10: $117.14 per share

- 2024-11: $138.25 per share

- 2024-12: $129.50 per share

- 2025-01: $144.68 per share

- 2025-02: $143.36 per share

- 2025-03: $130.58 per share

- 2025-04: $132.45 per share

- 2025-05: $137.19 per share

- 2025-06: $151.28 per share

- 2025-07: $147.70 per share

- 2025-08: $166.49 per share

- 2025-09: $163.40 per share

- 2025-10: $149.53 per share

- 2025-11: $131.45 per share

- 2025-12: $142.50 per share

- 2026-01: $145.45 per share

- 2026-02: $162.14 per share

- 2026-03: $152.51 per share

- 2026-04: $157.94 per share

- 2026-05: $168.41 per share

- 2026-06: $183.11 per share

- 2026-07: $174.13 per share

- 2026-08: $179.89 per share

- 2026-09: $169.30 per share

- 2026-10: $171.32 per share

## Annual estimated value (USD per share)

- FY2016: low $10.21 per share, central $11.48 per share, high $13.18 per share

- FY2017: low $17.30 per share, central $18.78 per share, high $20.74 per share

- FY2018: low $17.93 per share, central $19.45 per share, high $21.48 per share

- FY2019: low $15.97 per share, central $17.03 per share, high $18.44 per share

- FY2020: low $12.97 per share, central $13.14 per share, high $13.36 per share

- FY2021: low $25.84 per share, central $26.38 per share, high $27.10 per share

- FY2022: low $34.81 per share, central $39.76 per share, high $42.71 per share

- FY2023: low $36.12 per share, central $43.47 per share, high $47.75 per share

- FY2024: low $42.19 per share, central $45.41 per share, high $49.69 per share

- FY2025: low $46.31 per share, central $49.88 per share, high $54.63 per share

Historical values use today's bond yield for every fiscal year

Historical values use today's FX rate into trading currency for every fiscal year

Historical values use current restated fundamentals and current commodity classification; they are not point-in-time estimates

## Sources

[Original 10-K filing](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525826000009/lyv-20251231.htm); period 2025-12-31, filed 2026-02-19.

Estimates depend on assumptions and are not guarantees or investment advice. Underlying data remains subject to its source licenses; public reading does not grant bulk redistribution rights.