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Live Nation Entertainment Rises 22% in a Year: Time to Buy the Stock?

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Live Nation Entertainment (LYV - Free Report) shares have gained 21.8% in the trailing 12 months compared with the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector’s return of 3.7% and the Zacks Film and Television Production and Distribution industry’s appreciation of 18.3%.

LYV’s outperformance can be attributed to strong momentum in 2025 following a stellar 2024. Ticketmaster’s transacted ticketing volume for 2025 shows is up 3% year over year to 106 million, with concerts driving most of the growth. Live Nation has sold 65 million tickets for concerts in 2025, up double digits, fueled by stadium and international events. It added three major venues in 2024 and plans to add 20 venues by 2026.

Live Nation focuses on maximizing ticket inventory acquired from artists by leveraging sponsorship agreements and pre-sale partnerships with major brands such as Verizon and Citibank. The company works closely with artists to ensure that ticket sales benefit both the business and consumers while optimizing revenue opportunities. So far, it has secured 75% of 2025 sponsorship commitments (up double digits).

In recent discussions, major streaming platforms like Spotify (SPOT - Free Report) , Apple (AAPL - Free Report) and Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) have expressed interest in securing ticket inventory through potential collaborations. While Live Nation remains open to exploring these opportunities, any deal would need to provide value comparable to existing pre-sale partnerships. The company facilitates deals on behalf of artists, but the ultimate decision rests with them, as they prioritize maximizing revenue from their ticket sales.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LYV’s 2025 earnings is currently pegged at $2.91 per share, showing an upward revision of 19.26% over the past 60 days. The estimate suggests year-over-year growth of 6.2%. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $26.09 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 12.65%.

LYV beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the negative average surprise being 1.95%.

Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Here’s Why You Should Buy LYV Stock Now

Live Nation has been riding on strong global demand for live events, high concert attendance and strategic expansion of venues. The company’s sponsorship revenues grew significantly in 2024 (up 9% year over year), while Ticketmaster benefited from increased ticketing volume. With strong pricing power evidenced by premium offerings like VIP tickets, Live Nation has positioned itself to capture significant value from the continued growth in experiential entertainment spending. Its momentum continues into 2025, with strong growth in ticketing volume and concert tickets sold so far. Expanding international markets and new venue additions further strengthen long-term growth.

LYV currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and has a Growth Score of A, a favorable combination that offers a strong investment opportunity, per the Zacks proprietary methodology. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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