Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD – Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twenty-four ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fourteen have given a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $26.3553.
A number of analysts have commented on WBD shares. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Moffett Nathanson upgraded Warner Bros. Discovery from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 8th. Benchmark reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Warner Bros. Discovery from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $29.50 to $31.00 in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a report on Friday, April 24th.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on WBD
Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Down 0.3%
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($1.17) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.10) by ($1.07). The firm had revenue of $8.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.89 billion. Warner Bros. Discovery had a negative return on equity of 4.66% and a negative net margin of 4.67%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.18) earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Warner Bros. Discovery will post -0.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, insider Gerhard Zeiler sold 600,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.02, for a total value of $16,812,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 672,649 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,847,624.98. The trade was a 47.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO David Zaslav sold 4,004,149 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.26, for a total value of $113,157,250.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 7,200,627 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $203,489,719.02. This trade represents a 35.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,206,827 shares of company stock valued at $230,674,025. Company insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Warner Bros. Discovery
Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Warner Bros. Discovery by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 283,180,433 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,161,260,000 after purchasing an additional 1,966,278 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Warner Bros. Discovery by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 66,597,575 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,912,634,000 after purchasing an additional 1,028,346 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Warner Bros. Discovery in the fourth quarter valued at $1,123,807,000. Jericho Capital Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in Warner Bros. Discovery by 108.9% in the third quarter. Jericho Capital Asset Management L.P. now owns 35,095,390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $685,413,000 after purchasing an additional 18,291,865 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Warner Bros. Discovery by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 27,462,742 shares of the company’s stock valued at $791,476,000 after purchasing an additional 1,254,813 shares during the last quarter. 59.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Warner Bros. Discovery News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Warner Bros. Discovery this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Global streaming growth and HBO Max expansion accelerated subscriber gains, pushing total subs above 140 million — a key proof point for WBD’s recurring?revenue story. Warner Bros. Discovery tops 140M subs as Paramount sale nears
- Positive Sentiment: Management emphasized HBO Max as “probably” the company’s most important asset — underlining focus on global streaming and monetization strategy that could support long?term margins and valuation. David Zaslav Says HBO Max Is “Probably” Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Most Important Asset”
- Positive Sentiment: Streaming revenue grew better?than?expected in the quarter as HBO Max’s international push boosted engagement — a sign that core subscription metrics are improving despite near?term noise. Warner Bros Discovery’s streaming growth accelerates on global HBO Max push
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Guggenheim reaffirmed a neutral rating on WBD, leaving guidance/estimates unchanged — a steadying but non?catalytic signal for the stock. Benzinga coverage
- Neutral Sentiment: Speculative commentary and takeover chatter continue (including analysis that a Paramount Skydance acquisition could occur), which keeps buyout expectations in play but also raises execution and timing uncertainty. Warner Bros. Discovery: Time To Look Forward To Paramount
- Negative Sentiment: WBD reported a large first?quarter net loss driven by a $2.8B termination fee tied to the deal shuffle (Paramount/Netflix swap), producing a reported ~$2.9B hit that is expected to be largely a one?time accounting charge but crushed headline profitability. WBD Sees $2.9 Billion Q1 Loss On M&A Charges Including Termination Fee
- Negative Sentiment: Quarterly results missed expectations: EPS missed by a wide margin (reported loss $1.17 vs. consensus ~($0.10)), and revenue was roughly flat/down year?over?year — details that pressured the stock once one?time noise was stripped away. Warner Bros. Discovery Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Fall Y/Y
- Negative Sentiment: Press commentary around legacy news brands (e.g., Ted Turner’s criticisms of CNN) adds reputational noise but is unlikely to be a primary driver of near?term financials. Ted Turner Watched CNN Go From “World Peace Through Hard News” to “Dumbed Down” Infotainment
Warner Bros. Discovery Company Profile
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a global media and entertainment company formed when WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc combined their businesses in 2022. Headquartered in New York City, the company assembles a broad portfolio of film and television production, linear and cable networks, streaming services and consumer distribution operations. Its assets span well-known studio brands, premium scripted and unscripted programming, news and factual entertainment, and licensed franchise properties.
The company’s core activities include film and television production and distribution through units such as Warner Bros.
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