CHTR vs NXST: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: CHTR is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. CHTR and NXST share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined CHTR and NXST exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Charter Communications is a leading US broadband connectivity company that markets Internet, Mobile, TV, and Voice services under the Spectrum brand to roughly 59 million homes and businesses across 41 states. The core business is residential and commercial broadband, which throws off large and steady cash flows, while Spectrum Mobile (an MVNO running on Verizon's network) has become the fastest-growing part of the company, reaching about 12.1 million lines as of Q1 2026 after adding around 370,000 lines in the quarter. Traditional cable video continues to shrink as customers cut the cord, so the investment story now centers on defending broadband and converting the base into bundled mobile customers.

Full CHTR guide

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) owns, operates or services 265 full power television stations across 132 markets in 44 states and the District of Columbia, reaching roughly ~80% of US television households as of June 30, 2026. The stations carry CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliations, and the money arrives in two streams: distribution revenue (retransmission fees paid by cable, satellite and streaming pay-TV operators for the right to carry those signals) and advertising sold locally and nationally. Beyond the stations, Nexstar holds an ~81.1% interest in The CW Network, runs the NewsNation cable news channel and The Hill, owns the Premion connected-TV ad platform, BestReviews and the Locked On podcast network, and carries a ~31.3% stake in Television Food Network. On March 19, 2026 it closed the acquisition of TEGNA after clearing both the FCC and the Department of Justice, which is what took station count and reach to their current levels.

Full NXST guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• CHTR drivers: Spectrum Mobile convergence; Pending Cox merger and scale.
• NXST drivers: TEGNA scale, with the synergies still locked up; Distribution revenue and the shift to virtual pay-TV.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Broadband subscriber losses are the central risk, as fixed wireless from T-Mobile and Verizon (now over 20 million combined FWA subscribers industrywide) and fiber overbuilders continue to take share in a saturated market. For NXST, the dominant risk is legal rather than operational: a federal court has ordered Nexstar and TEGNA held separate, trial on the merits is not until July 6, 2027, and an adverse outcome could force divestiture of assets Nexstar has already paid ~$3.7 billion in cash to acquire.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick CHTR if you believe its drivers more; NXST if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the CHTR and NXST guides.

CHTR. Charter trades at a very low single-digit earnings multiple, reflecting the market's concern about broadband subscriber declines and its heavy debt rather than distressed fundamentals. Q1 2026 revenue fell about 1 percent to $13.6 billion and EPS of $9.17 missed estimates, which sent the stock down sharply. The small equity market cap sits atop a much larger enterprise value because of roughly $97 billion in net debt.

NXST. Trailing earnings are distorted at both ends. Fourth quarter 2025 carried the ~$381 million Television Food Network write-down, which is why full-year 2025 diluted EPS of ~$3.00 came in below the ~$8.57 reported through nine months, and the trailing multiple near ~35x reflects that hole rather than current run-rate profitability. Pulling the other way, first half 2026 results include only about three and a half months of TEGNA, so the trailing revenue figure understates the combined company. Capital allocation has shifted decisively toward the balance sheet: Nexstar repaid ~$437 million of debt in the first half, refinanced ~$1,714 million of notes due July 2027 with ~$1,725 million of new 2034 notes in April, and bought back no stock at all versus ~$125 million in the same period of 2025.

Headline figures (approximate, July 2026): CHTR shows revenue (ttm) ~$54.5B, q1 2026 revenue ~$13.6B (down ~1% YoY), adjusted ebitda (q1 2026) ~$5.64B (down ~2.2% YoY), market cap ~$20B; NXST shows revenue (ttm) ~$5.88B, boosted by TEGNA consolidating from March 19, 2026, q2 2026 (quarter ended jun 30, 2026) ~$1,993M revenue (+62.2% YoY), a record; net income ~$113M; adjusted EBITDA ~$633M (~31.8% margin), cash generation ~$298M operating cash flow and ~$238M adjusted free cash flow in Q2; ~$658M adjusted FCF in H1 2026, valuation ~$5.7B market cap at ~$185 per share on ~30.8M shares, about ~35x trailing EPS of ~$5.34 and roughly ~1.0x trailing sales.

CHTR and NXST are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined CHTR and NXST exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.