Newsmax rises on surprise Q3 profit

** US conservative media company Newsmax NMAX.N surges over 19.3% to $8.7 premarket

** NMAX posts Q3 surprise profit of $15.23 million vs estimates of a loss of $1.54 mln - data compiled by LSEG

** CEO Christopher Ruddy cites strong engagement through midterm elections

** Higher revenue, growth in high-margin affiliate and licensing fees, and lower legal costs also helped performance, co says

** Co posts Q3 rev of $69.03 mln above the analyst consensus of $49.83 mln

** All 3 brokerages rating the stock give it a "buy" rating; median PT at $17 - data compiled by LSEG

** NMAX is trading at 110.25 times its expected EPS over the next 12 months, outperforming the industry median of 8.93

** As of last close, NMAX down over 5% YTD