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National CineMedia, Inc.

Rank #76StartupWatchlistCompare with other stocks

NCMI · Nasdaq · Communication Services

National CineMedia, Inc. (NCMI) — Rank #76 by gross profitability (GP/assets 0.52) · ROE -3.2% · Piotroski F-Score 6 / 9.

As-of 2026-10-30 · CIK 0001377630 · all metrics point-in-time as of the filing date.

About

National CineMedia, Inc., through its subsidiary, National CineMedia, LLC, operates cinema advertising network in North America.

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The company engages in the sale of advertising to national, regional, and local businesses in Noovie, a cinema advertising and entertainment show seen on movie screens; and sells advertising on its Lobby Entertainment Network, a series of strategically placed screens located in movie theater lobbies, as well as other forms of advertising and promotions in theatre lobbies. It also sells digital advertising, including through NCM Boost, a data, insights and analytics platform that utilizes data; NCM Boost, a audience accelerator digital product; NCM Boomerang, retargeting solution designed to amplify post-theatre engagement; NCM Bullseye, an AI-generated creative to deliver dynamic and hyper-localized messaging; and NCM Blueprint, a real-time renovation permit data to identify homeowners who are actively engaged in remodelling projects. It offers its services to national and local sales groups.

The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado.

Industry
Advertising Agencies
Sector
Communication Services
State
DE
Filer Category
Accelerated filer
Fiscal Year End
December 31
Website
ncm.com

Company Snapshot

P/S is the primary valuation lens for pre-profit companies.

Market Cap

—

P/E (annual)

—

P/S (annual)

—

P/B

—

P/OCF (annual)

—

Shareholder Yield

—

Employees

248

Industry

Advertising Agencies

Exchange

Nasdaq

11/12

Flags passed

NCMI fails 1 critical flag

Passes 11 of 12 quality flags

  • FAIL
    Balance sheet deteriorating

    Net cash collapsed with receivables or inventory outpacing revenue

  • PASS
    Gross margin holding
  • PASS
    Dilution within 2%
  • PASS
    FCF not negative from investment
  • PASS
    Disclosure consistent
  • PASS
    Revenue not declining
  • PASS
    Operating margin holding
  • PASS
    Free cash flow intact
  • PASS
    Passes safety gate
  • PASS
    No competitive retreat
  • PASS
    SBC not compressing margin
  • PASS
    No valuation convergence

A count of the 12 warning flags that could be evaluated. Unweighted: colour follows the worst flag.

Quality Profile

Profitability

1/1 pass
GP / assets
0.52
Return on equity
-3.2%
Gross margin trend
PASS

Safety

1/1 pass
Balance-sheet safety
PASS
Debt / equity
0.34
Current ratio
1.84×
Net cash
$40.60M

Cash Flow

3/3 pass
Positive FCF
PASS
Cash-backed earnings
PASS
Accruals healthy
PASS
SBC / revenue
3.8%

Growth

2/2 pass
Revenue growth
1.0%
Piotroski F-Score
6 / 9
Share dilution
-1.8%

Burn rate (cash flow) is the primary read at this stage — TAM and product-market fit aren't metrics this dashboard tracks.

Profitability

Does it make money well?

No warning flags · GP/assets 75th percentile of 96 SIC 73 peers

Gross profitability (GP / assets)

0.52

Primary signal (Novy-Marx).

75th pctl of 96 SIC 73 peers

Return on equity

-3.2%

Gross margin

94.7%

99th pctl of 95 SIC 73 peers

Revenue growth (YoY)

1.0%

Gross margin improving

Margin trend vs prior year.

PASS

Operating Leverage

2022202320242026
Revenue vs COGS
Revenue vs OpEx
Op. Income vs Revenue

Growth

Revenue CAGR (3Y)

-0.8%

Revenue CAGR (5Y)

21.9%

Earnings CAGR (3Y)

—

FCF CAGR (3Y)

—

Cash Flow Health

Is the cash real?

No warning flags · FCF 126% above net income

Free cash flow

$2.80M

Operating cash flow minus capex.

Positive free cash flow

PASS

FCF vs net income

126.4%

(FCF − net income) ÷ |net income|. Positive: cash above earnings. Negative: below.

FCF not below net income

Fails when free cash flow is below net income (yellow flag).

PASS

Accruals healthy

Cash-backed earnings.

PASS

SBC / revenue

3.8%

Stock-based comp intensity.

Balance Sheet Strength

Can it survive a storm?

Warning: Balance sheet deteriorating · net cash $40.60M, F-Score 6/9

Balance-sheet safety

Composite anti-fragile check.

PASS

Debt / equity

0.34

81st pctl of 87 SIC 73 peers (best = lowest)

Current ratio

1.84×

49th pctl of 95 SIC 73 peers

Quick ratio

1.73×

Net cash

$40.60M

Cash & equivalents minus total debt.

Piotroski F-Score

6 / 9

Fundamental-strength score (0-9).

Valuation

Is the price reasonable?

No warning flags

Dividend safety

Composite score

0.8 / 5

Weak
Payout ratio
N/A0/5 Weak
FCF coverage
0.25×0/5 Weak
Dividend growth streak
1 yr1/5 Weak
Balance-sheet health
D/E 0.34 · IC N/A2/5 Fair

Capital allocation quality

Composite score

1.7 / 5

Weak
Share count trend(net buybacks)
-1.8%3/5 Good
Buyback timing
N/AN/A
Dividend growth consistency
1 yr1/5 Weak
Net debt trajectory
-7.8%1/5 Weak

Lifecycle Phase History

20202026
Decline
Hypergrowth
Startup

Price History

NCMI-90.9% · -38.0% CAGRSPY+82.9% · +12.8% CAGR

View full financial statements →

Source filings on SEC EDGAR: 10-K annual reports · 10-Q quarterly reports