NEW YORK, May 27, 2026, 06:03 (EDT)
PodcastOne Inc shares were quoted just above Tuesday’s close in early pre-market trading on Wednesday, holding near a 52-week high — the stock’s highest price in the past year — after a director disclosed a share purchase.
The Nasdaq-listed podcast network closed Tuesday at $4.76, up 6.25%, and was quoted at $4.78 in pre-market trade, which is trading before the regular exchange session. The shares touched $5.07 on Tuesday, also listed as the 52-week high. Google Finance put the company’s stock market value at about $129 million.
The move matters because PODC is a small-cap name, meaning a company with a relatively modest market value, and such stocks can move hard on limited news or volume. The tape helped too: U.S. stocks rose Tuesday after the Memorial Day break, with the Nasdaq Composite up 1.2% to a record and the Russell 2000 small-cap index up 1.8%.
Regular Nasdaq trading had not yet opened in New York. Nasdaq says its regular session runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with pre-market trading from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
A Form 4, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing used to report insider share transactions, showed PodcastOne director D. Jonathan Merriman bought 7,000 common shares on May 22 at $4.38 each. The filing, signed May 26, said the shares were held indirectly through the D. Jonathan and Odile Merriman Family Trust.
The filing gave no reason for the purchase. Insider buying does not forecast future returns, but investors watch it because it shows a director or executive using personal or related-party capital to buy stock.
PodcastOne has also been leaning on a turnaround message. In an April 28 release filed with the SEC, the company said it anticipated fiscal 2026 revenue of more than $61 million and adjusted EBITDA of more than $6.3 million. Adjusted EBITDA is a company-adjusted profit measure that strips out interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and is not calculated under standard accounting rules.
Robert Ellin, chairman and CEO of parent LiveOne, called fiscal 2026 “a transformational year” for PodcastOne and pointed to “expanding demand” for its content and advertising products, according to that filing.
The company’s pitch rests on scale in podcast ads. PodcastOne says it has surpassed 3.9 billion total downloads and has about 200 top podcasters, including Adam Carolla, Kaitlyn Bristowe and LadyGang. In a May 19 release, President and Co-Founder Kit Gray said the company was using “hands-on growth strategies” to build “audiences and revenue” while hosts focus on content. Businessinsider
Competition remains heavy. Podtrac’s April 2026 ranking of participating U.S. podcast publishers and networks placed PodcastOne ninth, with 6.1 million U.S. unique monthly audience and 21.4 million U.S. downloads and streams. iHeartPodcasts ranked second with 170.9 million downloads and streams, while Acast ranked third with 88.2 million.
PodcastOne has been adding and renewing shows. On May 12, it launched It’s Okay, We’re All Gonna Die with Nurse Julie and acquired Life Happens with Barb and Michelle. Gray said mental health and wellness was “one of the most engaging podcast genres.” PodcastOne
But the risk is straightforward. A director purchase may fade quickly if the company’s expected fiscal results disappoint, advertising demand softens, or PodcastOne fails to keep and add shows and listeners. The company’s own risk language points to competition, content acquisition, listener retention, proposed deals and its ability to continue as a going concern as factors that could change outcomes.
For now, PODC heads into Wednesday’s regular session with traders watching whether the stock can hold near Tuesday’s high, or whether the move cools once full-market volume returns.
