Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) Hold Rating Reaffirmed at Benchmark

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD)‘s stock had its “hold” rating restated by equities research analysts at Benchmark in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on WBD. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $31.00 target price on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley set a $29.00 price target on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Moffett Nathanson increased their target price on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from $26.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Warner Bros. Discovery has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $25.11.

Warner Bros. Discovery Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock opened at $28.80 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $28.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.53. Warner Bros. Discovery has a 1 year low of $7.52 and a 1 year high of $30.00. The company has a market capitalization of $71.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 151.59 and a beta of 1.64.

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported ($0.10) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.19). Warner Bros. Discovery had a net margin of 1.28% and a return on equity of 1.34%. The company had revenue of $9.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.20) earnings per share. Warner Bros. Discovery’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Warner Bros. Discovery will post -4.33 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Warner Bros. Discovery news, CAO Lori C. Locke sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.62, for a total transaction of $138,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 110,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,040,520.08. The trade was a 4.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels sold 242,994 shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.50, for a total transaction of $7,168,323.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 918,940 shares in the company, valued at $27,108,730. This represents a 20.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 257,116 shares of company stock valued at $7,546,331. 1.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Concord Wealth Partners lifted its stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 49.9% in the 3rd quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 1,321 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in Warner Bros. Discovery during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 152.1% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 847 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 59.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Warner Bros. Discovery News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Warner Bros. Discovery this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Warner’s board said Paramount Skydance’s updated $31-per-share, all-cash proposal could be a “Company Superior Proposal”—Paramount also added financing protections/extra equity commitments that reduce execution risk, which supports a higher guaranteed takeover value for WBD holders. PARAMOUNT COMMENTS ON WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY BOARD’S DETERMINATION
• Positive Sentiment: Paramount’s $31 bid and the board’s shift toward entertaining a superior proposal increase the near-term takeover premium on WBD shares (the $31 headline price is above recent trading levels), giving a clearer path to a cash exit for shareholders if that deal closes. After PSKY’s $31 Bid, Could Netflix Exit the WBD Bidding War?
• Neutral Sentiment: WBD reported Q4 results that missed EPS expectations (loss of $0.10 vs. a small consensus gain) and showed ~6% revenue decline year-over-year; streaming subscriber gains were offset by weakness in linear TV and studios—this weak operating backdrop complicates valuation and could affect regulatory/financing conversations. Warner Bros posts 6% fall in quarterly revenue, deal talks in focus
• Negative Sentiment: Netflix publicly declined to raise its offer and has signaled it will not match Paramount’s terms, effectively stepping aside—that removes a bidder that many investors thought could push the price higher, capping upside for WBD if Paramount closes at $31. Netflix, Paramount shares jump as months-long fight for Warner Bros ends
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and political scrutiny remains a wildcard—state and federal reviews of large media deals could delay or block any transaction (Netflix’s earlier regulatory concerns and third‑party scrutiny increase execution risk for a prospective buyer). 11 US states urge DOJ to thoroughly probe Netflix-Warner Bros deal

About Warner Bros. Discovery

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.