Principal Financial Group Inc. Grows Holdings in Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. $WBD

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) by 9.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,678,528 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 224,338 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Warner Bros. Discovery were worth $52,312,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. purchased a new position in Warner Bros. Discovery in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 66.5% in the 3rd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 675 shares in the last quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Crews Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 1,242.2% during the 3rd quarter. Crews Bank & Trust now owns 1,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 183.9% in the third quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 1,225 shares during the last quarter. 59.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other Warner Bros. Discovery news, CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels sold 242,994 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.50, for a total value of $7,168,323.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 918,940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,108,730. This trade represents a 20.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Lori C. Locke sold 5,000 shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.62, for a total value of $138,100.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 110,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,040,520.08. This trade represents a 4.34% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 267,116 shares of company stock valued at $7,781,731. 1.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Warner Bros. Discovery

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

• Positive Sentiment: President Trump said he will not intervene in the battle between Netflix and Paramount/Skydance over Warner Bros Discovery, reducing the chance of direct White House interference in the outcome. Trump says he will stay out of Netflix-Paramount fight over Warner Bros
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage arguing that a Netflix–Warner combination is strategically compelling could support longer‑term valuation if regulators allow the deal, framing the tie-up as a strong industry fit. Netflix-Warner Bros is a marriage made in competition heaven
• Neutral Sentiment: High investor search activity and short‑term price moves show WBD is in focus; heightened attention can amplify volatility around deal headlines and filings. Investors Heavily Search Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting a recent intra‑day/short‑term dip highlights that WBD’s price is reacting more than the broader market — a technical note for traders but not direct evidence about deal outcome. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Netflix co‑CEO Ted Sarandos faced an intense Senate hearing where lawmakers questioned whether a deal would harm competition, raise prices, squeeze talent and draw regulatory pushback — increasing merger approval risk. Netflix co‑CEO faces grilling by US Senate panel over Warner Bros deal
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple major outlets report bipartisan senator skepticism and pointed questioning during the hearing — a sign regulators/congress could scrutinize or slow the transaction, weighing on WBD’s near-term share price. Netflix, Warner Defend Proposed Deal in Senate Hearing

Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Performance

WBD stock opened at $27.03 on Thursday. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. has a 1 year low of $7.52 and a 1 year high of $30.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 142.27 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.07. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $27.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $20.88.

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $9.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. Warner Bros. Discovery had a return on equity of 1.34% and a net margin of 1.28%.The firm’s revenue was down 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.05 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. will post -4.33 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $29.00 price objective on Warner Bros. Discovery in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Warner Bros. Discovery from $16.00 to $23.50 in a report on Friday, November 7th. Moffett Nathanson lifted their target price on Warner Bros. Discovery from $26.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Benchmark upped their price target on Warner Bros. Discovery from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $25.08.

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.