Shares of Warner Music Group Corp. (NASDAQ:WMG – Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $35.6875.
A number of research firms have weighed in on WMG. Moffett Nathanson assumed coverage on shares of Warner Music Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $38.00 price objective for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Warner Music Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Warner Music Group from $38.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 11th. UBS Group set a $33.00 price target on shares of Warner Music Group in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Warner Music Group in a report on Monday, December 29th.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMG
Warner Music Group Price Performance
Warner Music Group (NASDAQ:WMG – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $1.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.77 billion. Warner Music Group had a net margin of 4.43% and a return on equity of 38.79%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.45 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Warner Music Group will post 1.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Warner Music Group Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 18th. Warner Music Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 108.57%.
Institutional Trading of Warner Music Group
Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in Warner Music Group by 6,227.3% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,173,417 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,027,000 after acquiring an additional 2,139,067 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Warner Music Group by 178.5% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 3,183,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,435,000 after purchasing an additional 2,040,425 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Warner Music Group by 12.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,914,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $576,110,000 after purchasing an additional 1,837,801 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its position in Warner Music Group by 5,055.5% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,860,687 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,375,000 after purchasing an additional 1,824,596 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its stake in Warner Music Group by 112.8% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,226,151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,823,000 after buying an additional 1,180,256 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.88% of the company’s stock.
Warner Music Group News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Warner Music Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Revenue and streaming strength — Q1 revenue rose ~10% to about $1.84B, driven by recorded music, streaming and artist services; the top-line beat consensus and underpins confidence in growth. Warner Music Quarterly Revenue Rises 10% on Recorded Music & Streaming Growth
- Positive Sentiment: Management sees upside from AI and new revenue patterns — CEO Robert Kyncl told Bloomberg Tech that AI-related opportunities and expanded rights/licensing should boost future monetization. Warner Music Group Sees Double-Digit Revenue Growth in 1Q
- Positive Sentiment: Capital deployment and partnerships — WMG expanded its investment JV with Bain Capital and signaled more catalogue acquisitions, supporting longer‑term royalty growth and diversified revenue. Warner Music & Bain Capital expand investment JV as major reports ‘strong start’ to 2026 With revenues up 10%, WMG is planning more catalogue buys
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend announced — WMG declared a quarterly dividend of $0.19/share (yield ~2.6%), which can support investor sentiment and income-focused buyers.
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst backdrop — Multiple buy/overweight ratings and a median price target near $38 provide upside guidance, but the market will watch execution vs. targets. Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) Stock Rises on Q1 2026 Earnings
- Negative Sentiment: EPS and profitability pressures — EPS missed estimates ($0.33 vs. ~$0.40 consensus) and diluted EPS declined year‑over‑year; net income fell, which weighs on near‑term earnings momentum. Compared to Estimates, Warner Music Group (WMG) Q1 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics
- Negative Sentiment: Weaker cash flow & balance‑sheet items — operating cash declined year‑over‑year and liabilities rose, factors investors may view as risk if cash conversion and leverage don’t improve. Warner Music Group posts mixed Q1 results, shares fall 4%
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is a major global music company that operates across recorded music and music publishing. Its recorded-music business comprises a portfolio of well-known labels—including Atlantic, Warner Records and Parlophone—as well as distribution and artist-services operations that support both established and emerging artists. The company’s publishing arm, Warner Chappell Music, manages songwriting catalogs and administers rights for compositions across multiple media, providing licensing for film, television, advertising and other commercial uses.
WMG’s activities span the full music value chain: signing and developing artists, producing and marketing recordings, distributing music through physical channels and streaming platforms, and monetizing rights through licensing, synchronization and neighboring-rights collection.
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