Adam Wyden: buying someone else's pain in Stagwell $STGW and Driven Brands $DRVN | ADW Capital

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  July 07, 2026 at 20:57  |  59:13  |  Yet Another Value Podcast
Speakers
Adam Wyden — Founder and CIO, ADW Capital
Andrew Walker — Host, Yet Another Value Blog

Summary

Adam Wyden of ADW Capital presents concentrated long pitches on Stagwell (STGW) and Driven Brands (DRVN). He argues Stagwell is a misunderstood marketing-services and data business with hidden AI-era value and a buyback-driven re-rating path, while Driven Brands' parts, especially Take 5, are worth more than the current market cap. Host Andrew Walker pushes back on the legacy agency model and on why Driven Brands has stayed cheap, while Adam defends both as contrarian 'buying someone else's pain' opportunities before an eventual aha moment.

  • Adam Wyden pitches Stagwell as an owner-operated marketing services and data compounder trading at a 20%+ free cash flow yield.
  • Stagwell targets roughly $700M EBITDA in 2028 and $1B by 2029, with buybacks and AI/software upside.
  • Adam pitches Driven Brands as a sum-of-the-parts story where Take 5, AutoGlass, and Collision exceed the current market value.
  • He is broadly bullish on the automotive aftermarket, citing aging vehicles, expensive new cars, and the shift from DIY to DIFM.
  • Host Andrew Walker challenges legacy ad agency holdcos on human-capital leakage and AI disruption.
  • Driven Brands discussion includes corporate-cost cuts, buybacks, potential asset sales, and private-market ownership.
  • The conversation frames both ideas as out-of-favor value and event-driven situations waiting for a catalyst.
Ideas
Adam Wyden Founder and CIO, ADW Capital 2:46
Stagwell is misunderstood, cheap free-cash-flow compounder.
Stagwell is misunderstood as a dying ad agency or AI loser. It is an owner-operated marketing services, data, and digital transformation business that cleaned up MDC, divested non-core assets, built proprietary data/software and an AI-powered agentic operating system with Palantir, and wins large clients because complex media buying, strategy, and proprietary data still require human judgment. It should earn roughly $500M EBITDA in 2025, $570M in 2026, $700M in 2028, and $1B by 2029 while buying back stock. At $7.40, the stock offers a 20%+ free cash flow yield, and even a market multiple of 16x earnings or 6-7x EBITDA implies a mid-$20s stock. The market has ignored it due to reverse-merger, dual-class, TRA, and cleanup overhangs, but when the market cares it can re-rate sharply.
Andrew Walker Host, Yet Another Value Blog 8:45
Legacy agency holdcos face structural AI risk.
Andrew Walker argues the legacy advertising agency holdcos have a structurally challenged consultancy/human-capital model: the talent walks out the door and captures the economics, WPP, IPG, and Omnicom have trailed the S&P for decades, and AI may worsen the problem by letting the best creatives serve clients without needing agency back-office support.
Adam Wyden Founder and CIO, ADW Capital 37:24
Driven Brands parts exceed current market value.
Driven Brands is a cheap sum-of-the-parts story. Take 5 quick lube is a crown jewel that may be worth more than the entire market cap, with strong unit economics, 40% cash-on-cash returns, and a large store growth opportunity. AutoGlass and Collision are sellable assets that could fetch high multiples and potentially cover net debt, leaving the remaining franchise/Take 5 business cheap. Corporate costs are inflated and can be cut, and the company should buy back stock aggressively. At around $14.50, with an $18 take-private offer previously on the table and public-market disinterest, the pieces are undervalued and the business likely belongs in private markets or strategic hands.
Adam Wyden Founder and CIO, ADW Capital 37:48
Automotive aftermarket has durable secular tailwinds.
Adam Wyden is personally very bullish on the automotive aftermarket because cars are being driven longer, with the average vehicle age around 13 years and potentially moving toward 17; new cars are expensive; service and repair are shifting away from dealers and from DIY to DIFM; technology changes slower than feared; and EV adoption remains far off due to charging, grid, and power constraints, with ICE still dominating new vehicle sales. He also likes the Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, and O'Reilly ecosystem as beneficiaries of the aging car park and DIFM trend.
Up Next

This Yet Another Value Podcast video, published July 07, 2026, features Adam Wyden, Andrew Walker discussing STGW, OMC, WPP, IPG, DRVN, Automotive aftermarket, AAP, AZO, ORLY. 4 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Adam Wyden, Andrew Walker  · Tickers: STGW, OMC, WPP, IPG, DRVN, Automotive aftermarket, AAP, AZO, ORLY