Erste Asset Management GmbH Sells 111,400 Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. $WBD

Erste Asset Management GmbH decreased its holdings in Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) by 39.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 172,946 shares of the company’s stock after selling 111,400 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Warner Bros. Discovery were worth $4,979,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WBD. Norges Bank bought a new position in Warner Bros. Discovery in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,123,807,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 281,214,155 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,492,112,000 after purchasing an additional 18,736,600 shares during the last quarter. Jericho Capital Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 108.9% during the 3rd quarter. Jericho Capital Asset Management L.P. now owns 35,095,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $685,413,000 after purchasing an additional 18,291,865 shares during the last quarter. Duquesne Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $74,916,000. Finally, Amundi grew its stake in Warner Bros. Discovery by 59.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 15,523,538 shares of the company’s stock valued at $296,189,000 after buying an additional 5,798,592 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 59.95% of the company’s stock.

Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Performance

NASDAQ WBD opened at $26.56 on Wednesday. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. has a 52-week low of $9.11 and a 52-week high of $30.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.73. The company has a market capitalization of $66.59 billion, a P/E ratio of -37.94 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a fifty day moving average of $27.16 and a 200-day moving average of $27.48.

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) last issued 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 business had revenue of $8.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.89 billion. Warner Bros. Discovery had a negative return on equity of 4.77% and a negative net margin of 4.67%.Warner Bros. Discovery’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 business earned ($0.18) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. will post -0.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Warner Bros. Discovery News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual call option buying suggests traders are positioning for a move higher, likely tied to takeover-related upside or deal speculation.
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Paramount Skydance is making regulatory concessions to preserve the acquisition indicate management is actively trying to keep the deal alive.
• Positive Sentiment: The market is still assigning value to the merger, with commentary noting the stock offers a meaningful spread to the deal price, which can attract merger arbitrage investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Britain’s competition regulator has formally begun reviewing Paramount Skydance’s planned acquisition, a procedural step that keeps the process moving but adds timeline risk. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Proxy adviser ISS’s opposition to executive pay tied to the merger highlights governance scrutiny around the transaction, but it does not directly block the deal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Media reports about Bari Weiss potentially overseeing CNN editorial operations reflect possible post-deal restructuring, adding color to the merger narrative without changing the core financial case.
• Negative Sentiment: Paramount’s alleged accusations against Netflix and the broader “deal drama” underscore a contentious process that could increase uncertainty and weigh on the stock if negotiations stall.
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns the current share price may be below the value implied by the takeover, but still leaves investors exposed to deal-completion risk if approvals or conditions become problematic.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from $23.50 to $27.75 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a report on Friday, April 24th. Huber Research raised shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Argus cut their price target on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Warner Bros. Discovery has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.04.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Paul A. Gould sold 600,000 shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.35, for a total value of $16,410,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 244,357 shares in the company, valued at $6,683,163.95. This trade represents a 71.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Fazal F. Merchant sold 35,000 shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.48, for a total transaction of $961,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 95,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,625,411.72. The trade was a 26.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.