Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-two brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $27.0417.

Several research firms have weighed in on WBD. UBS Group raised 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 report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Zacks Research raised shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Seaport Research Partners raised shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, June 29th.

Warner Bros. Discovery Price Performance

Shares of WBD stock opened at $27.48 on Wednesday. Warner Bros. Discovery has a 52 week low of $10.76 and a 52 week high of $30.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.90 billion, a PE ratio of -39.26 and a beta of 1.54. 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 stock’s fifty day moving average is $26.85 and its 200-day moving average is $27.52.

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($1.17) earnings per share (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 the consensus estimate of $8.89 billion. Warner Bros. Discovery had a negative net margin of 4.67% and a negative return on equity of 4.77%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.18) earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Warner Bros. Discovery will post -1.07 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: WBD continues to trade with takeover-related optimism, as Paramount says it still intends to close the deal by the end of September despite the new lawsuits. Paramount still plans to close WBD merger by end of September despite lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock has also seen unusually heavy call-option activity, suggesting traders are positioning for continued merger volatility. Paramount Skydance (PSKY) Stock Faces New Risk as 12 States Sue to Block $110 Billion Warner Bros. Deal
• Negative Sentiment: The merger now faces multiple antitrust challenges from state officials and the Writers Guild, which could delay or block the deal and pressure WBD if the takeover premium fades. Hollywood Writers Sue to Block Paramount-Warner Deal

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WBD. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in Warner Bros. Discovery by 111.2% in the second quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 942 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 496 shares during the period. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new stake in Warner Bros. Discovery in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Warner Bros. Discovery by 64.3% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,009 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Warner Bros. Discovery during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. 59.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.