Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. $WBD Shares Acquired by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) by 5.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 500,197 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 27,620 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Warner Bros. Discovery were worth $9,769,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Concord Wealth Partners boosted its holdings in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 49.9% during the third quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 1,321 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 440 shares during the period. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Warner Bros. Discovery by 152.1% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 847 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its stake in Warner Bros. Discovery by 66.5% during 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 during the period. Crews Bank & Trust grew its position in Warner Bros. Discovery by 1,242.2% in the 3rd quarter. Crews Bank & Trust now owns 1,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing 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 valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,225 shares during the period. 59.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Warner Bros. Discovery News

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

• Positive Sentiment: WBD has asked Paramount Skydance for a “best and final” offer, reopening the possibility of a bidding contest that could lift the takeover price and provide upside for shareholders. Warner Bros Seeks Paramount’s “Best and Final Offer,” Upside Ahead?
• Positive Sentiment: Paramount has indicated it could raise its cash offer (reports suggest $31+ per share), and Netflix has granted a short waiver — both actions increase the chance of a higher headline price or matching bids. Warner Reopens Talks With Paramount After Sweetened Offer
• Neutral Sentiment: WBD set a special shareholder meeting for March 20 and continues to recommend voting in favor of the Netflix transaction — a procedural step that keeps the Netflix deal as the baseline value for the company. Warner Bros. Discovery gives Paramount one week to present its ‘best and final’ offer
• Neutral Sentiment: Exhibitors remain cautious: Cinemark’s CEO said theater chains are “apprehensive” and want firmer commitments from Netflix on theatrical windows — this matters for regulatory optics and the valuation of theatrical rights. In Warner Merger Battle, Netflix Needs To Take “More Action” To Prove It Loves Movie Theaters, Cinemark CEO Says
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. DOJ has begun private meetings with major theater chains to probe how a Warner sale would affect theaters — a regulatory risk that could complicate or slow approval of any transaction. US DOJ probes Warner Bros’ planned sale impact on theaters, Bloomberg News reports
• Negative Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn downgraded WBD from Buy to Hold (now $31 PT), signaling more cautious analyst sentiment despite deal activity. Warner-Bros-downgraded-to-Neutral-from-Buy-at-Rothschild-&-Co-Redburn
• Negative Sentiment: Consensus analyst price target (~$24.94) sits below the current market level, and WBD warned of employee attrition risk if Paramount’s offer proceeds — both represent downside and execution risks. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) Receives $24.94 Consensus PT from Analysts Warner Bros. Discovery says it’s worried employees will quit if it picks Paramount’s offer

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Warner Bros. Discovery from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Moffett Nathanson increased their price target on Warner Bros. Discovery from $26.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Arete Research lifted their price objective on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $29.50 target price on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a research note on Monday, December 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $25.09.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Warner Bros. Discovery news, CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels sold 242,994 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.50, for a total value of $7,168,323.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 918,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,108,730. This represents a 20.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Lori C. Locke sold 4,122 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.92, for a total value of $119,208.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 100,962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,919,821.04. This trade represents a 3.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 267,116 shares of company stock worth $7,781,731 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Warner Bros. Discovery Price Performance

NASDAQ:WBD opened at $28.79 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $28.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $21.91. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. has a 52-week low of $7.52 and a 52-week high of $30.00. The firm has a market cap of $71.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 151.53 and a beta of 1.64.

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.